- Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley released their cookbook yesterday
- The Art of Eating Well educates people on the process of mindful eating
- They share three of their favourite recipes from their cookbook
By Martha Cliff
Published: | Updated:
We are nation fascinated by health foods and weight loss: not a week goes by without some new regime cropping up. There's the Clean and Lean regime, the 5:2, the Paleo Diet, green juices... the list goes on.
But for Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, eating well is far more than a fad, it's a way of life.
The two sisters, Jasmine, 34 and Melissa, 28 are otherwise known as female foodie duo Hemsley + Hemsley. The pair run a blog and a bespoke food delivery service, all designed to encourage people to eat well and live more energised lives.
They are fast becoming the hottest food gurus on the scene and yesterday saw the launch of their very first cookbook The Art of Eating Well.
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Good girls: Melissa (left) and Jasmine (right) practice the art of 'mindful eating' where they are constantly in tune with what they are putting in their system
But in a world where quinoa is as common as cornflakes, what exactly makes the girls stand out from their fellow health foodies?
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For the two sisters, it is their concept of 'mindful eating', a process where you remain completely connected to what you are putting into your body.
'This recent movement on healthy eating being all about low-fat, fake 'health foods' - often full of sugar - did not appeal to us. We realised that by taking things back to basics and making it all about real food that nourishes you, made us feel so much more alive.
'Simply put; The Art of Eating Well is mindful eating and enjoying the foods that make you feel good from the inside out. Taking time to actually sit down and enjoy good food with as much awareness to how you are eating as to what you are eating.'
Beet babes: The sisters are big fans of beetroot: left, their Love Smoothie and, right, ChocBeet Fudge Cakes
One of the main concepts of mindful eating doesn't actually concern what you eat but the way you eat it, with the sisters putting a lot of emphasis on the importance of chewing.
'We've got to make the time to chew properly because there are no teeth in your tummy! It's important to break down all foods by chewing to access their nutrition', say the girls.
'The chewing process also activates salivary glands and sends signals to your stomach about the type of food it's about to receive. Even necking something relatively easy to digest like a green smoothie can stress the digestive system.'
This all makes a lot of sense - but do people with a hectic schedule really have time to start worrying about how long they chew their food for?
Jasmine (left) and Melissa (right) released their first cookbook The Art of Eating Well yesterday
'No they don't, but they have to do it anyway - this is one habit that's more important than brushing your teeth!'
'We realise that life isn't going to slow down suddenly for everyone and people are time poor but just making a few changes to the way you look at food and eat your food will make a massive difference to your experience with food and will really aid your digestion.'
And they're not kidding, they aren't suggesting we run 5k a day or only eat raw vegetables, in fact one of their most vital tips is simply getting a little bit sleep.
'In our book we have 12 golden rules and 10 things to do today. These include: sleep more, kick off your day with water and fresh lemon and avoid caffeine - try cutting down every day and swapping in zingy fresh ginger tea instead for a natural boost.'
The girls recommend chewing your food slowly to allow your body to properly digest
'You can feel the benefits from trying a few of these simple positive changes even before you start cooking any of the recipes from the book! Even the busiest person can adopt one and start feeling better right away.'
The girls talk from experience. Jasmine runs a successful food business, is releasing a cookbook, writes regularly for Vogue, is working on a TV series - and still finds time to fit in the odd modelling job.
Unlike a lot of her contemporaries she believes that you can't rely on soft lighting or Photoshop to hide any bad habits.
'You have to show energy and vitality on a shoot and lighting can't always hide a night of no sleep or the results of a bad diet' says the 34-year-old.
We're all aware that even the most dedicated of models have their vices and enjoy the odd cheeseburger. But the Hemsley sisters insist that all cravings can be satisfied with a healthy alternative.
Rubbing shoulders with the stars: Jasmine and Melissa were joined by presenter George Lamb and wife of James Corden, Julia Carey at their star-studded book launch at The House of St Barnabas on Tuesday night
'With our reworked comfort foods we never really feel like we're missing out on anything or that we need junk food. Our recipes are varied and full of flavour and nourishment so we don't crave.'
'We make delicious succulent burgers whether it's grass-fed meat or from black beans and feta, we enjoy celeriac chips cooked in ghee and delicious puddings and pizzas that all hit the spot.
'If we're eating out then we choose somewhere with a "real food" ethos but if we can't pick then we don't stress.'
But the girls do admit that they do have weaknesses - especially when it comes to a certain French pastry.
'Eating well most of the time means that we're better equipped to deal with the croissants that occasionally cross our path/jump into our mouth!' Well that's a relief.
'We have an 80/20 guideline,' says Jasmine. 'The human body is amazing and if you feed your body the good stuff 80 per cent of the time it can cope a lot better with the bad stuff. The trouble is a lot of people have the ratios flipped and that's when you start to encounter problems.'
Jasmine (right) also works as a model so understands the importance of eating well in order took your best
'In avoiding processed foods you can steer clear of the guilt and discomfort often associated with it - make eating well a consistent part of your life and enjoy your guilty pleasures now and then!'
However, for many of us healthy eating also means expensive eating. With green juices costing upwards of five pounds a pop, do the girls really think that most people can afford to eat this way?
'Absolutely' they insist. 'Home-cooking saves time and money in the long run. If you've got the space, spend a little time ordering in cupboard ingredients in bulk which saves lots of money. If you don't have the space, do this with few friends so you can share the benefits.'
The girls have a busy year coming up as they begin filming their own TV series
As to the inspiration for their inventive recipes, the pair say that their culinary imagination comes from their mother, who taught them how to eat on the cheap - but with plenty of flavour.
'We grew up with a Filipino mother and an Army father in Army barracks in UK and Germany and both worked full time. We were used to eating frugally and adventurously - and though mum was efficient everything was made with love and care.
'Our mum cooked intuitively based on what was in the fridge and cupboards and we picked that up.'
It appears that when it comes to the rules and regulations of mindful eating, for the girls the main concern is to stop worrying about it.
'Food really shouldn't be confusing or complicated, but more often than not it is made out to be just that with so many different ideas and diets being propounded. We're all about taste, we didn't want healthy and tasteless, but delicious and unhealthy is no solution either.'
The Art of Eating Well by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, Ebury Press, £25 available at www.eburypublishing.co.uk.
FLOWER POWER PIZZA
This is not quite as simple as the Socca Pizza in our book, but no pancake skills are required for this.
We sneak some cauliflower - that's the flower! - into the pizza base and then use protein-rich ingredients such as almonds, egg white and buckwheat – the power part.
If you plan to cover your pizza with lots of protein in the form of meat, we recommend using more ground almonds rather than buckwheat flour for better food combining.
Try the toppings from our Socca Pizzas or our tangy Puttanesca sauce, as well as the tomato sauce below. Double the recipe to make two pizzas, then you can freeze one of the pizza bases or freeze a constructed pizza ready to pop in the oven later that week.
Stick the leftover egg yolk in a smoothie, bake it on top of your pizza or make a mayo or tartare sauce.
This pizza is made using cauliflower in the base, just as tasty as the original but rich in protein
MAKES 1 PIZZA
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE (MAKE THIS UP IN ADVANCE OR USE PASSATA IF YOU'RE IN A RUSH)
- 3 garlic cloves, or diced
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 12 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp dried oregano or
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 fresh or dried chilli, finely sliced or chopped (optional)
FOR THE PIZZA BASE
- 140 g cauliflower (about ¼of a head without the stalk)
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 50 g ground almonds
- 40 g buckwheat flour
- ½tsp sea salt
- ½tsp black pepper
- ¼tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Choose your favourite toppings.
Preheat the oven to fan 190°C/Gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease with butter, ghee or coconut oil. Make the tomato sauce: gently heat the ghee in a pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic for 1 minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and a little chilli, if you like.
Cook the tomatoes down to a thick sauce over a medium heat, lid off,which will take about 15 minutes, then mash the tomatoes with your spatula or blend to a paste if you like things less rustic.
While the sauce is cooking, grate the cauliflower into rice-sized pieces using a hand grater or food processor.
Put all of the pizza base ingredients into a bowl and mix well with a spoon, or add to the food processor and blend, to form a sticky dough. Spread the dough out with the back of the spoon on the prepared tray, shaping it into a 30 cm-diameter.
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, flipping it over after 15 minutes to cook the underside. Choose your pizza topping from the options opposite and cook as instructed.
Serve the pizza with a big green salad and drizzle over some Brazil Nut Pesto, if you like.
FOR A PARMA HAM AND ROCKET TOPPING:
Spread the tomato sauce over the base of the pizza with the back of a spoon. If you've made the sauce in advance and it's cold, rebake the tomato-topped pizza for five minutes before adding your toppings.
Top with 4 slices of Parma ham torn into small pieces, 2 handfuls of rocket and some Parmesan shavings. Add chilli flakes, if you like.
FOR A TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA TOPPING:
Pull apart 1 medium mozzarella ball into small pieces and arrange over the base of the pizza. Slice 2 handfuls of fresh tomatoes into 1 cm-thick slices (a mixture of colours looks good) and arrange over the pizza.
Add chilli flakes, if desired. Bake for 10 –15 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling.
SESAME CHICKEN SALAD WITH CUCUMBER NOODLES
A refreshing summer salad with cucumber noodles and Asian flavours. This is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken, or serve instead with a little fish or sliced seared beef.
We love raw chopped pak choi, but you can substitute with Chinese-style cabbage or finely shredded English cabbage.
Eat this within a few hours as the cucumber will start to get watery or make everything else up in advance and prepare the cucumber noodles just before serving.
If you're taking this for lunch, pack the chicken first, then arrange all the veg on top so they don't get squashed, and take your dressing in a separate jar.
A refreshing summer salad with cucumber noodles and Asian flavours
FOR THE SALAD
- 2 tbsp black or white sesame seeds
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 small head of romaine or cos lettuce, shredded into ribbons
- 1 small head of pak choi or 150 g Chinese cabbage, shredded into ribbons
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
- a handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 250 g cooked shredded chicken
FOR THE SESAME DRESSING
- 5 tbsp sesame oil (not toasted) or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- juice of 1 lime or 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp raw runny honey
- 1 tsp tamari or sea salt
OPTIONAL
- 1 finely chopped red chilli, to garnish
NO LEFTOVER CHICKEN?
Roast 2 large chicken thighs at fan 200°C/ Gas mark 7 for 25–30 minutes until cooked,
then shred quickly with 2 forks to cool the meat quickly
Gently toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant. Use a spiralizer or julienne peeler to make the cucumber noodles. Or use a regular vegetable peeler to slice the cucumbers lengthways into wide pappardelle-style ribbons.You might want to cut the long, spiralized strands in half to make them easier to eat.
Prepare the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients in a bowl or shaking them together in a jam jar. Add the lettuce, pak choi, spring onion and coriander to a bowl.
Pour over the dressing and mix everything together (hands are best). Plate up with some shredded chicken and top with toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
CHIA CHAI BUTTERNUT BREAKFAST PUDDING
This is an overnight breakfast or make-ahead dessert. We've infused omega-3-rich chia seeds with our favourite rooibos chai breakfast tea and together they turn the usually savoury butternut squash into a sweet start to the day.
Gently heating up the pudding before layering with the mango cashew cream is our favourite way to breakfast and warm our bellies in the autumn.
This is so yummy that you'll also fancy it as a cool, creamy dessert. We love it with summer fruits, such as blackberries, grapes, figs, plums or peaches, which are just in season as butternut comes in. In the winter months, try apple chunks, chopped clementines or blood orange.
If you bake the butternut squash the night before, then it's ready to go in the morning. Don't forget to chew well in order to get the most goodness out of the tiny chia seeds.
By combining chia seeds with rooibos chai breakfast tea they turn the usually savoury butternut squash into a sweet start to the day
SERVES 2-4
- 1 large butternut squash (enough to make 400 g cooked butternut squash purée)
- 2 rooibos chai tea bags or 2 tsp rooibos chai tea leaves
- 4 tbsp white chia seeds (we used white chia to keep the pudding's bright orange colour, but black also works – and is cheaper and easier to find too!)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp raw honey
OPTIONAL
- Coconut yoghurt and goji berries,to serve
Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/Gas mark 6 and roast the butternut squash in the oven for 40–50 minutes until cooked through and tender. Scoop out 400g of the squash flesh and mash well.
Any leftover squash can be frozen and used in a soup or smoothie.
Add the squash to a saucepan with 350ml water, the coconut oil and the tea leaves (or the contents of the tea bags, if using). Bring to a medium simmer, then remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
Stir in the chia seeds, continuously whisking at first to avoid lumps, then add the honey.
Leave to sit for at least 20 minutes to an hour for the chia to swell (unless you like it crunchy). Alternatively, transfer to a flask and by the time you get to work, you'll have a nice warm chia breakfast pudding.
Add the coconut yoghurt and goji berries, if using, and enjoy.
TO MAKE A CREAMY DESSERT
Take a jar or glass and layer up the chia butternut breakfast pudding with mango-cashew cream and scatter 2 handfuls of seasonal fruit, such as blackberries, between the layers.Top with more fruit and enjoy.
