My Week On A Plate: Elisa Rossi
MONDAY
Breakfast: What I eat for breakfast depends on what’s in season but more often than not, it’s some kind of green smoothie – one full of skin-boosting antioxidants, minerals, healthy fats and protein. I always use frozen bananas as a base, as they naturally sweeten the smoothie while adding vitamins and minerals, and give it a creamy texture. When it comes to greens, I love cavolo nero – the more vibrantly coloured a fruit or vegetable, the more antioxidants it contains. Putting a smoothie together – even on the busiest of mornings – takes five minutes. When I have time, I sprinkle mixed nuts and cacao nibs on top as I find ‘chewing’ my smoothies keeps me fuller for longer. I am Italian, so there’s never a morning which doesn’t include a coffee. I recently invested in a barista coffee machine, so I often make a latte with a mix of cashew and oat milk.
Lunch: The majority of my days are spent creating, testing, photographing and filming new recipes, either for clients or Instagram. Today, I want to film a Reel for one of my favourite curries, which is perfect for autumn. My butternut squash, chickpea and kale curry is brimming with delicious flavours. Butternut squash is a wonderful source of vitamin A, which is essential for cell renewal and supple, glowing skin. I have a bowl of this for lunch with a mix of quinoa and brown rice, which provides balanced protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates to keep me full all afternoon.
Supper: After a day of cooking and testing new recipes, the last thing I feel like doing is cooking. Fortunately, my fiancé Sam is on hand. He makes us one of our favourite dishes – lentil and porcini mushroom ragu with pasta. It always hits the spot. For pudding, I have a couple of my four-ingredient caramel truffles with a mug of liquorice tea.
TUESDAY
Breakfast: It’s a busy morning as I have to cross London for a meeting. I am tempted to skip breakfast as I’m a bit pushed for time, but I know I’ll be starving later and end up grabbing the first – and not necessarily the healthiest – thing I can find. I pop a slice of my nutrient-dense bread – which I make with buckwheat, quinoa, and sunflower and chia seeds – in the toaster and top it with almond butter and sliced banana.
Lunch: I am still out when lunchtime comes around, so I swing by The Detox Kitchen. I love the buddha bowls, salads, smoothies and healthy treats. I go for a Mexican Bowl – brown rice, kale, black beans, charred corn, red cabbage, avocado, tortilla chips and fresh coriander.
Supper: It’s been a long day and I don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen, so I make a quick stir fry. I stir fry lots of vegetables I have hanging around in the fridge and serve them with rice noodles and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds for extra crunch. For pudding, I have a couple of dates which I stuff with nut butter and dip in melted chocolate. These always hit the spot when I want something sweet and decadent.
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: I have a bit more time this morning, so I take the time to make a nutritious breakfast. I scramble tofu and serve with sautéed mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes, avocado and wholegrain sourdough. It’s the perfect breakfast to keep me full until lunchtime.
Lunch: I spend the morning filming new recipes for a client, so for lunch I have a bowl of one of the recipes – ratatouille-style pasta salad. It’s full of courgette, peppers, aubergine, cherry tomatoes and rocket, and I make it with yellow pea pasta, which is a great source of protein and fibre. Being Italian, I tend to find legume pasta disappointing as they tend to fall apart during cooking, but yellow pea pasta cooks exactly like wheat pasta.
Supper: The fridge is full of odds and ends that need using up, so I put together a bowl of leftovers – I have a small amount of the pasta from lunch with a simple tomato, cucumber, avocado and red onion salad. For dessert, I have a few squares of Raw Halo dark chocolate with some berries and a cup of liquorice tea.
THURSDAY
Breakfast: I wake up craving something sweet, so I make the chocolate chickpea smoothie from my book. Adding chickpeas to a smoothie may sound odd but they have a mild flavour and add a good amount of protein and fibre. I also add almond butter and raw cacoa – the perfect sweet start to the day.
Lunch: It’s my admin day today, so I spend the day catching up on emails and writing. I make myself a quick butter bean salad with cherry tomatoes, toasted walnuts and lots of basil and parsley for lunch. I recently discovered Bold Bean, a jarred bean brand that I am obsessed with. Its pre-cooked beans and chickpeas are so much more delicious compared to regular tinned ones, and they make healthy eating quick and easy.
Supper: I head to Dishoom in Soho for dinner with friends – it’s one of my favourite restaurants in central London. I order the chilli broccoli salad with gunpowder potatoes.
FRIDAY
Breakfast: The morning after I’ve been out for dinner, I always crave something fresh and hydrating, so I make a green smoothie using a frozen banana, kale, fresh orange juice, lime juice, ginger, half an avocado and baobab and wheatgrass powders. It really hits the spot and leaves me feeling energised and ready for the day ahead.
Lunch: I am still craving greens at lunchtime, so I make the crispy tempeh and kale caesar bowl from my cookbook, which is really filling thanks to the protein-rich tempeh and fibre-rich chickpeas, both of which are also great sources of calcium. I drizzle with a dressing made with sunflower seeds, which really brings the bowl together and also adds some healthy fats.
Supper: On Friday evenings, dinner has to be something simple and fuss-free. Tonight, I make us a satay cauliflower and quinoa traybake, which is bursting with both flavour and texture. I also have a bag of Deliciously Ella chocolate almonds.
SATURDAY
Breakfast: I love going to the farmer’s market on Saturday – it’s one of my favourite weekly rituals. On my way in, I stop for breakfast at Milk in Balham. I always order the Gaia avocado toast – smashed avocado on sourdough with a chickpea tapenade and mixed herbs. I also have an oat milk latte.
Snack: In the afternoon I get peckish and fancy baking, so I make a batch of blueberry and lemon muffins. I use wholegrain flour so they aren’t overly sweet, but they have the perfect hint of fruitiness from the fresh blueberries.
Supper: I keep it simple this evening and make a Thai sweet potato soup – it’s ideal when the weather gets colder. I have it with crunchy sourdough while I watch Netflix. I also have some dark chocolate, coconut yoghurt and raspberries.
SUNDAY
Breakfast: I love having pancakes on a Sunday, especially with a cup of piping hot coffee while I read the papers. My go-to recipe uses gluten-free, wholegrain fibre. I serve them with raspberry compote and peanut butter – you can’t go wrong with this combination.
Lunch: I’m not overly hungry as I had a late breakfast, so I have a bowl of last night’s leftover soup.
Supper: When I have time on a Sunday, I love making a batch of something I can freeze portions of for busy evenings to come. Tonight, I make a batch of almond and chickpea curry – it’s a recipe I make often. It’s high in protein and fibre thanks to the chickpeas and also has a hefty dose of healthy fats thanks to the almonds. I serve it with lots of basmati rice and fresh coriander.
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