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Chef-Samantha-Gowing.jpg
Samantha Gowing
Master of Gastronomic Tourism
Dip.Hlth.Sci.-Nut.;
LCBMGastTour; ATMS
Founder Gowings Food Health Wealth 2000
www.foodhealthwealth.com

Chef Samantha Gowing help put ‘food as medicine’ on the map in Australia by using her unique blend of nutrition, fine dining and business expertise. As Australia’s leading spa chef she has worked for the past fifteen years with people all over the world on improving their health and wellbeing. Sam is renowned for her nutritional wisdom, and for being a powerful influencer among healthy lifestyle audiences. She is the self-published author of The Healing Feeling, and writes prolifically on the future of food, food trends and the cult of the green smoothie.

Her Byron Bay based global wellness company Gowings Food Health Wealth creates culinary programs for luxury hotels, spas and health retreats worldwide. FHW offers dynamic wellness business solutions that help food and health entrepreneurs create successful and sustainable businesses. Sam recently returned from the Global Wellness Summit in Mexico City where she delivered her speech about future food and healing trends. Sam has paved the way for the new genre of wellness enthusiasts since 2000.

At the age of 24, Sam became a hotelier and ultimately a chef hat-winning restaurateur who loved life at the helm of legendary Gowings Grace Darling Hotel in Collingwood before turning her heart and mind to food as medicine and changed her fast living ways to become a clinical nutritionist, executive chef, keynote speaker and wellness authority. She holds a Diploma of Health Science, Nutrition (2003); and is a member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society. She has certified with Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods (2010) and has recently graduated with her Master’s degree in Gastronomic

Tourism from Le Cordon Bleu.

Her first book The Healing Feeling, represents her life work and passion for spreading the health and wellness word in a way that’s fun and accessible. Across 143 beautifully designed colour pages Samantha shares not only her health-giving recipes and remedies but also her engaging personal stories and extensive knowledge of nutrition and Chinese medicine. All done with her trademark great humour and word play. Her second self published eBook, Celebrate Well launched in 2015.

When she is not in the kitchen or the ocean, she mentors like-minded folks who have a yearning for all things well and healthy in business.

 

Ingredients

Topping

 

Method

  1. Preheat fan forced oven to 150°C. Line an 18cm rectangular baking dish with baking paper.
  2. In a large bowl, add chia seeds and 2 cups water. Soak for 10 minutes. Stir briefly and soak until ready to use in step 7.
  3. Meanwhile place figs, currants, vinegar, water, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a large saucepan. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool.
  4. In the Bakery Boss bowl, place eggs and slowly turn the mixer to CREAMING/BEATING setting and beat for 1 minute. 
  5. In the Breville Kitchen Wizz® Pro place almonds and PULSE into almond meal. Transfer to Bakery Boss with beaten eggs.
  6. In the Breville Kitchen Wizz® Pro place hazelnuts and PULSE until roughly chopped. Transfer ¾ cup to Bakery Boss. Reserve remainder for topping. 
  7. Add almond meal, hazelnuts, bicarb soda and soaked chia mix to the Bakery Boss. Reduce speed to FOLDING/KNEADING.
  8. Fold in cooled fig mixture on FOLDING/KNEADING speed and fold in for 1 minute.
  9. Carefully pour mixture into lined baking dish. Scatter coconut flakes, chopped hazelnuts and cacao nibs over the top. Press down gently.
  10. Bake for 60-75 minutes. Test with a skewer. Bake longer if required. Allow to cool slightly before serving to firm. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days