Working with young people in the Job Services sector, Sarah Davis sees first hand the value of getting a job and the contribution young people can make to their own lives, as well as to the wider community.

I love my job. I support young people to get work.  I love seeing the transformation that occurs when they start working – some for the first time, others after some work experience through school or voluntary work. They walk a little taller, feel more confident, have a solidness about them that was always there but seems to come out more.

Learning new skills and having experiences certainly grows us as individuals. But it is more than that. When you work, you contribute. When you work you are in relationship with others and the world. Work gives us purpose, and whatever it is that we may be doing - hospitality, retail, construction or administration - that purpose is to bring ourselves to the world.

Everyone has their own expression to bring. A young woman I know is quiet as she serves coffees and the customers love the fact that she remembers their name and what they want. Another young woman is outgoing and talks openly with her customers about her dogs at home and what she did on the weekend. They love her openness and the fact that she seems interested in their life too. Another young woman I know works really well in a team and is naturally a leader of others through her respect, sense of equality and honesty.
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​Social media addict… I feel is a proper term to describe myself. I used to constantly check my phone and be obsessed with looking at what my friends and other people were doing. In my spare time, instead of talking to my family I would be on my phone checking people's Instagram profiles and pictures or making sure I was updated with the latest trends. It was unhealthy and detrimental to my mental health however I didn’t feel like changing, and as the law of madness states; don’t expect a different result by doing the same thing.

It wasn't until I spiraled into severe depression around the start of this year that I was able to realise that there was something very wrong. I went to doctors, got blood tests and underwent therapy because of the horrible thoughts running through my mind. I was starting to scare myself and everyone around me. Eventually I went on medication but that didn’t help the constant anxiety and depression I felt every day. I used to go home from school and spend hours on my phone, making sure I wasn’t forgotten about in the eyes of others.

For months I woke up at around 2 or 3 in the morning, only able to get around 4 hours of sleep. I sometimes clenched my teeth subconsciously in the night and woke up in immense pain. It turns out the reason I was clenching my teeth was due to …. well you guessed it, emotional stress and anxiety. I was tired, anxious and tense every single day but I never told anybody as I didn’t want to burden my family or friends.  I knew I was making myself extremely sick and I hit rock bottom… it was time for a change.

My mom and I had a huge fight and she finally took my phone away from me. I told her to not give it back no matter how much I would beg or plead of her; I needed to do this for myself. So there began probably the worst weekend I’ve experienced in a long time. My phone was gone and I felt alone and really scared. The dependence I had on that electronic device was so strong and absolutely terrifying.
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• Pine Nuts are packed full of vitamins E and K as well as minerals magnesium, zinc and manganese. 

• Sesame Seeds are a fantastic source of non-dairy calcium. They also provide a source of magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and copper. The phytosterols founds in sesame seeds are also helpful in lowering blood cholesterol. 

Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1/4 small Pumpkin, diced 
• 1 head Broccoli, cut into small florets
• 4 cups Leafy Salad Greens
• 3 teaspoons Olive Oil 
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 1/4 cup Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley Leaves, finely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Seeds
• 1 tablespoon Sunflower Seeds 
• 1 tablespoon Pine Nuts
• 2 teaspoons Sesame Seeds (white &/or black)

Method:

1. Steam pumpkin and broccoli until just tender. Set aside. (Cool if preferred). 
2. In a large mixing bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice and herbs. 
3. Add salad greens and toss to dress leaves. 
4. Toast pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts and sesame seeds for a few minutes in a frying pan. 
5. Add pumpkin and broccoli to salad leaves and sprinkle with toasted seeds just before serving.

Make It Personal: 

• Add your choice of poached or boiled eggs, cooked salmon, cooked and shredded chicken or canned salmon/tuna to boost protein content. 
• You can either serve this salad with warm pumpkin or broccoli or cooked and chilled depending on your liking.

​Recipe
Ingredients:

• 5 Garlic Cloves, crushed 
• 1 large bunch Kale, woody stems removed, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2kg Pumpkin, peeled and diced into large pieces
• 1.25L Stock or well seasoned water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
• Pinch Pink Salt 
• Generous Amount of Black Pepper

Method:

1. In an extra large saucepan or soup pot saute garlic and kale in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. 
2. Add pumpkin, stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
3. In a blender (I use Vitamix for all of my pureed soups) or food processor puree ingredients until smooth.

Make It Personal:

• Garnish with fresh chives or spring onions, chopped.
• Add 1 cup baby spinach leaves before pureeing.
• Add 11/2 head broccoli florets with pumpkin. 

Sensitive to FODMAPs?

• Omit fresh garlic and add 2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil. 
• Choose Kent or Jap pumpkin and avoid butternut pumpkin.

​For more nourishing recipes, check out:
www.livelovenourish.com.au

Harissa Salmon, Roast Fennel and Rocket Salad with Flaked Almonds and Herbs
Serves 4

• 4 fillets of salmon
• 1 tablespoon harissa or a selection of spices that you enjoy (see tip below)
• 1 large fennel bulb (or two small ones)
• 1 packet of rocket, washed (or any type of salad you prefer)
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice (no more than half a lemon)
• 1 small bunch of mint, stalks discarded
• 1 small bunch of coriander, stalks discarded
• Toasted flaked almonds (see tip below)

 

1. Cut each salmon fillet into 2/3 pieces then place in a bowl. Add the harissa (or spices) and gently massage all over the fish. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge from 30 minutes to a few hours. If you have minimal time, you can cook it straight away.
2. Preheat oven to 200C fan.
3. Quarter the fennel then finely slice it horizontally no more than a few millimetres thin. Toss in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and some black pepper then spread out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast in the oven, stirring halfway, for about 20 minutes until soft and browned. Set aside.
4. While the fennel is cooking, place the rocket into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a dash of lemon juice and pepper. Toss well then lay out onto a platter/large plate.
5. Take the salmon out of the fridge. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat with about 1-2 teaspoons olive oil. Once hot add the salmon pieces to the pan, being careful of the hot sizzling oil. Leave to cook on each side for a few minutes depending on the thickness of each piece until crispy and browned. Once cooked through and crispy all over, remove each piece from the pan and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
6. Arrange the roasted fennel on top of the rocket then sprinkle over the leaves of coriander and mint. Place the salmon pieces of top and scatter over the toasted flaked almonds.
7. Serve with extra greens on the side.

Tip:
1. To toast your own flaked almonds, spread them out on a baking tray and roast for 7-8 minutes in a preheated oven at 190C. Alternatively, toast them in a frypan for a few minutes on low heat.
2. An alternative to fennel would be zucchini or capsicum - you can use the same cooking times as listed above.
3. Here is a simple harissa paste recipe, or you can use a mixture of your favourite herbs and spices from home - which will be delicious also.

Recipe
Ingredients:

• 3 large free range eggs
• 1 ¼ cup (330g) mashed banana (approx 3 med bananas) + 1 extra for decoration
• 3/4 cup (180ml) nut milk (or dairy free milk or choice)
• 2 tbsp (40ml) extra virgin coconut oil, melted 
• 1/3 cup (50g) banana flour 
• 1/3 cup (40g) coconut flour 
• 1 tsp (3g) gluten free baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp (1g) vanilla powder
• 1/2 tsp (1g) cinnamon 
• 3/4 cup (105g) macadamias, chopped 

Method:

1. Pre-heat fan-forced oven to 180°C.
2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk eggs. Add mashed banana, milk and coconut oil and whisk to combine. 
3. Add banana flour, coconut flour, baking powder, vanilla and cinnamon and mix to combine. Stir through macadamia nuts. 
4. Pour batter into a lined loaf tin. Slice extra banana in half lengthways and sit on top of batter. 
5. Bake in oven for 60 mins or until cooked through. Test with a skewer; the skewer will come out clean when cooked through.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve warm, toasted or chilled.

Make It Personal: 

• Swap macadamia nuts for your favourite nut. 

Recipe Tips:

• This recipe is suitable to freeze. 
• Try not to over mash the banana. 
• Be sure to use baking powder that is free from gluten and aluminium.

Sensitive to Nuts?

• Swap nut milk for coconut milk (carton) or other dairy free milk. 
• Omit macadamia nuts.