Cooking to me is about the essence of the ingredients that will nourish your body and be lovingly prepared – nothing too fancy. I cook for pleasure, I cook for health and I cook to inspire. I love sharing my recipes and I hope you will also enjoy cooking them for your family and friends to feel happy, healthy and nourished.

Salmon burgers

A salmon burger is probably one of my favourite meals to make at home, mainly because it's simple to prepare and can be accompanied by a quick salad or steamed or roasted vegetables after I finish work. I often serve my burgers with roasted sweet potato chips, or carrot and parsnip chips. What's great about it? Salmon is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory to the body and critical for good health. Omega 3s are essential fats that must be obtained from our diet. Omega-3s support the body's health in every way and are vital in the fight against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Another great thing about these burgers is that it's a great source of quality protein that can help build and repair the body, and nourish your immune system as well as sustain lean muscle.

500g fresh skinless and boneless salmon fillet, chopped

2 spring onions, sliced

small bunch of parsley, chopped

1 lemon, juice and zest

1 free-range egg

pinch of sea salt

50g almond meal to coat (optional)

1. Combine the salmon, spring onion, parsley, lemon juice and zest, egg and salt in a food processor.

2. Process until just combined.

3. Remove and shape into eight burger patties then coat with almond meal if using.

4. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

5. Cook the burgers in a pan over a low to medium heat with a splash of olive oil until crisp, golden and cooked through.

6. Serve and enjoy with your choice of roasted sweet potato or leafy green salad. Or, roasted parsnip and carrot chips.

Serves 4

Healthy carrot cake

This is my ultimate carrot cake, packed with antioxidants and superfood goodness. It's loaded with protein and essential minerals and scented with cinnamon, vanilla bean and a little honey. This is a purely delicious and simple one-bowl cake to make and it keeps for about one week in the fridge. I love to frost my cake with a simple vanilla frosting or top with thick Greek-style yoghurt. What's great about it? Carrots are the richest source of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for tissue growth and repair as well as thyroid function. Almonds are gluten free and packed with protein to repair the body and keep blood sugars stable.

500g grated carrots
3 organic eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
300g almond meal
60ml olive oil
160g pure maple syrup or honey
1 cup raisins
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
handful roasted walnuts (garnish)

Vanilla frosting

250g quark, labna or traditional cream cheese
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

1. Preheat your oven to 160C (fan forced), 180C (convection).

2. Combine carrot, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond meal, oil, honey, raisins and baking powder.

3. Mix well with your hands until combined.

4. Pour into a prepared 20-centimetre baking tin.

5. Bake for 1½ hours or until cooked through. Cover if necessary with foil to prevent overbrowning.

6. Remove cake from the oven and cool completely in the tin then turn out.

7. Combine frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy.

8. Spread over the carrot cake and garnish with roasted walnuts. Enjoy.

​This is an edited extract from Teresa Cutter's new cookbook The Healthy Chef: Purely Delicious;  hard copy $69.95; e-book $18.99; available from thehealthychef.com