Kitchen Spy with the Healthy Chef Teresa Cutter

The woman known as "The Healthy Chef" is a classically trained pastry chef who'd rather ice a cake than poach a chicken, a disposition possibly unique among her green-smoothie-loving cohort. She credits her Polish upbringing amid poultry-raising, vegie-gardening relatives with her love of whole food and a preparedness to eat everything. Far from being a sugar-shirking fanatic, Teresa, who also has a diploma in nutrition from Deakin University, believes in moderation and sensible exercise. Who knew? She has just released her fifth cookbook, Purely Delicious.

The staples

My pantry: I always make sure my pantry is stocked with good Australian olive oil like Joseph or Cobram Estate. I use it for everything - cooking, baking, salads. I like the ones with a peppery finish and combine them with Pukara Estate balsamic vinegar in dressings. A tin of The Healthy Chef Naked Chocolat is a must; it's a delicious European style of drinking chocolate loaded with antioxidants. I enjoy it iced or hot with home-made almond milk and include it in any chocolate recipes I'm creating. I like good quality sea salt like SaltWorks sel gris​ because it's rich in minerals. There are tins of Global Organics borlotti beans for that impromptu minestrone and quinoa for salads. Delouis Fils​ dijon mustard is great with a nice grass-fed steak. I prefer hulled tahini because it's less bitter and is good in dressings for Japanese salads. I like the Melissa organic one.

My fridge: Oxhill​ organic eggs are my favourites. Eggs are the perfect high-protein meal; I cook them all sorts of ways, scrambled with a little butter, in omelettes stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and a drizzle of truffle oil or poached eggs on roasted broccoli or asparagus with a little parmesan. I like to make my own yoghurt, it's really easy. I don't like it too tart so I don't let it ferment for longer than a day. My fridge is packed with vegetables and fruit for making juice every morning including cos lettuce, kale, spinach, orange, lemon and pineapple. There are also blueberries and strawberries for my superfood breakfast bowls and power smoothies.

I'm cooking

Asparagus, peas and broad beans topped with seasonal leaves and Persian feta, then drizzled with a little lemon and Joseph olive oil. For breakfast it's oatmeal and chia overnight oats, soaked in almond milk and topped with fresh strawberries, Greek yoghurt and a little honey.

Last dinner at home

We had slow-simmered bolognese made with grass-fed beef, a mirepoix of vegetables, roma

tomatoes and a splash of chianti, which I served with zucchini linguine and a good grating of grana padano.

Secret vice

I enjoy a spoonful or two of tahini and raw honey when lingering around the kitchen looking for something to satisfy my cravings. It takes me back to when I was a young girl and my Polish grandparents would give me slices of halva as a treat. Tahini is extremely high in protein and minerals, and it makes me feel good when I eat it.

I'm drinking

In the mornings I love a good cup of English breakfast tea with a squeeze of lemon and dash of honey. Mid-morning I enjoy a matcha​ tea that gives my body a kick and helps keep me energised. I'm a big juice and smoothie fan, and I like a power smoothie for one of my meals during the day - I add berries, frozen banana, protein powder and coconut water. It's loaded with antioxidants and tastes delicious. I also enjoy my cold-pressed wheatgrass juice every day because it helps nourish my digestive system and makes me feel great.

My toolkit

I've had the same Victorinox​ knives for around 20 years and I still use the boning knife I got as an apprentice. My cast-iron Lodge pans I just use for everything. The retro Smeg stand mixer gets a workout most days when I'm testing recipes for my cookbooks and website. I also couldn't live without my Robot Coupe food processor and nut milk bag for making almond milk, which I do every day.

Favourite

I love my Bron Coucke​ stainless steel mandoline, which I've had for 15 years. It's really easy to use and the blades are built in so you can't lose them.

Inspiration

My Polish great-aunt, who I spent a lot of time with as a child, is my greatest inspiration. Her philosophy of keep it simple, keep it fresh and make it yourself inspires how I approach cooking every day.

Kitchen highlight

It's minimal, uncluttered and that's how I like it.

Discovery

I love making my own nut butters. There's nothing better than home-made roasted almond butter with a pinch of sea salt.

Most memorable meal

It was a simple cafe salad in Cannes, France, made from torn buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and dressed with cold-pressed lemon-scented olive oil – delicieuse! I hate food that's been played with too much.