Foodie Finds: Grocer & Grind

What: Coffee shop, health food store, health food restaurant.

Where: 1/1 Sunshine Boulevard, Broadbeach QLD 4218

When: Everyday 6:00am – 5:00pm

Contact:  Phone: +61 7 5527 6223

    E-mail: info@grocerandgrind.com.au

About: Priding itself on offering top quality, fresh, organic and local produce, Grocer & Grind are a staple part of the Gold Coast Holistic movement. Tucked away behind the Gold Coast Convention Centre, the quiet geography of this little gem in no way deters from the bustling clientele that flows through its doors on a daily basis.

Grocer & Grind caters an extensive all-day breakfast menu serving all the classic favorites, plus all day lunches, gourmet salads, deconstructed pizzas and an array of beverages both hot and cold. Each dish contains only the freshest local produce and is cooked with love. There are also many vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options on the menu for those with special dietary requirements.

Staffs are all extremely friendly and just add to the wonderful dining experience. I had the Angus beef burger, with tomato, cheddar, caramelized onions, lettuce, a grilled pineapple ring and house made tomato relish which was served open on a rye bread bun; sweet potato fries, which came with an amazing whole seed mustard mayonnaise dipping sauce (Yum!); the banana espresso smoothie and a chai latte. My friends and I shared a house made peanut butter and chocolate slice for desert, which was made with their own house made peanut butter! I thoroughly enjoyed each dish- the flavors- they were all so unique, wholesome, healthy and tasty.

The contemporary décor of this well-known hub manages to combine a nice balance between wood, metal and earthy-toned textiles giving the space a warm, rustic feel which is extremely welcoming. Presenting with inside/outside dining options, an environment that is accepting to all, and a mini organic grocery section with the best honey soaked coconut chips I’ve ever tasted, it’s no surprise that Grocer & Grind is quickly making a name for itself on the Gold Coast and  attracting people from all over to enjoy their atmosphere and delightful cuisine.

Female Inspiration: Christine Collins

Today, my female inspiration is a little different from the iconic sirens who we've come to know quite week by their presence gracing our media on a global scale. I recently watched Changeling, a Clint Eastwood film about a single mother living in Los Angeles during the early 1900s with her only son, Walter Collins. (A little late, I know, but it's one of those films that I've been meaning to watch but just hadn't gotten there yet...) Anyways, after watching the film, I did some more research into Christine Collins, her case, and what she stood for as a person. She seemed very strong-willed, having an acute understanding of who she was as a person and what example she wanted to set as a person during her time here on Earth. Her ability to maintain courage towards the corruption of the LAPD at a time when women were yet to be heard, or her tenacity to right the wrongs of her fellow female patients from the time she spent at the Los Angeles County Hospital, or the strength of her spirit to ever lose hope of one day finding her son again. These were all remarkable qualities in a woman, mother, working mum, and in some ways, I admire her. So, I dedicate this weeks Female Inspiration to the inspirational Christine Collins...a feminist before her time.

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.” 

“You need to find a way to live your life, that it doesn't make a mockery of your values.” 

“Think of the long view of life, not just what's going to happen today or tomorrow. Don't give up what you most want in life for something you think you want now.” 

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.” 

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” 

“You've got to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you've got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. Learn from mistakes, but never regret.” 

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists...it is real...it is possible...it's yours.” 

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” 

Winter Warmer Juice

Every Saturday morning, I enjoy going to the Farmers Markets in Burleigh Heads. I love wandering through the various stalls, selecting all the fresh produce I need for the week from the individual farmers, as well as discover new, seasonal ingredients that I may have never used or tried in my cooking before. 

I recently discovered beetroot. Whole, fresh beetroot and not from a can! It's so easy to prepare and you can use the whole vegetable - tuber and leaves. I have been making this juice as to try to keep my immunity up during the Winter, and in an attempt to fight off any nasty Winter colds too. So far...so good! The beetroot is high in folate, manganese, magnesium and many essential vitamins and minerals, whilst the orange and apple are high in vitamin C; the carrot provides beta-carentine, whilst the celery is a good source of hydration. The spinach or beetroot leaves will keep your blood alkaline whilst the ginger has heating properties - keeping you warm regardless of it being a cool juice.

Ingredients:

1 x Whole Beetroot (peeled)

1 x Whole Carrot (peeled)

1 x Whole Orange (peeled)

1 x Celery Stick

1 x Whole Green Apple (peeled)

1 x Handful Spinach Leaves or Beetroot Leaves (Washed)

1 x Medium Cube of Fresh Ginger (peeled)

Method:

(This juice is best done in a juicer - preferably cold pressed - however any blender will do.)

1. Prepare all your ingredients by peeling the skins off, washing and dicing. 

2. Place each ingredient in the juicer one after the other, finishing up with the ginger last, unless preparing in a blender, then put all ingredients in together.

3. If a juicer was used, stir the juice before adding ice and serve. If a blender was used, then strain the pulp from the juice, add ice and serve.

4. Voila! Enjoy alone or with friends :-)

Super Food: Beetroot or Beet

Beetroot is a versatile vegetable that can be utilised wholly in cooking - tuber and leaves and all!! The beetroot bulb is high in folate (something I found out myself the other day), with a single serving providing 34 percent of the recommended Daily Value, and 28 percent of your recommended Daily Value of fibre and manganese. The root is also a good source of vitamins B6 and C, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It also contains phenols and betalains, which have potent antioxidant properties. 

In 2010, a review in the journal Plant Foods in Human Nutrition stated that the betalain in beetroot has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Phytotherapy Research reported in 2009 that beetroot products, including the juice or chips, reduced oxidation and inflammation in obese women.

The leaves are high in fibre, vitamins A, B6, C, K, and E, thiamine, riboflavin, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. They are also a good source of the minerals magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, zinc, and phosphorus.

Facts/Serving
Cooked Beetroot
(1 Cup/170 g)

Calories: 75 (313 kJ)

Protein: 2.9 g
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
Carbohydrates: 16.9 g
Fiber: 3.4 g

Cooked Leaves
(1 Cup/144 g)

Calories: 39 (166 kJ)
Protein: 3.7 g
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Saturated Fat: 0.1 g

Carbohydrates: 7.9 g                                             

Fiber: 4.2 g

Origin: Atlantic and and Mediterranean Coasts of Africa and Europe
Season: Summer and Autumn
Home Garden: Easily grown at home

New Recipe & Super Food

Hello Ladies,

Just letting you know that I have not forgotten about you, or my commitment to giving you weekly information on various super foods and recipes on how to use them. I am currently working on a new juice involving beetroot that will keep you warm for the Winter, yet replenish you after your Winter work out sessions. I'm really excited about this! Let's just say, it involves ginger...;-)

Much Love xoxo