Gluten-free pancakes with apple and vanilla yoghurt
These are my “traditional” but gluten-free pancakes and I love them for an occasional treat. They come out pretty similar to traditional wheaty pancakes and we think they are just as nice. I plan to eat these for dessert on Pancake Tuesday with freshly stewed cooking apple (sweetened with pure stevia or xylitol) and a large dollop of Greek yoghurt, natural yoghurt or Coyo coconut yoghurt. Coyo sometimes needs to be thinned thinned with a little non dairy milk when its extremely thick. Of course there’s always the more traditional option to eat them with lashings of lemon juice and a sprinkle of xylitol. Delicious!
For best results make the batter between 2 hours and 2 days before and store in the fridge until ready to use.
110g plus 1 tbs brown rice flour, organic if possible
35g soya flour
½ level tsp Atlantic sea salt or Himalayan (pink) salt
2 eggs
1 tbs virgin macadamia oil or light olive oil
250ml dairy or non-dairy milk of your choice (additive-free unsweetened almond or coconut milk are particularly good)
Virgin coconut oil for cooking
1. Combine all the ingredients and whisk thoroughly with an egg beater or electric mixer or in a blender. the batter should flow like double cream. If it is too thick or thin, adjust with either rice flour or water. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. too low a temperature will produce tough crepes, too high will burn them before they are cooked. Add a knob of coconut oil (about the size of the top part of your thumb) to the pan before cooking each crepe.
3. Pour the batter (about an eight per crepe) into the hot frying pan, tilting the pan to distribute batter evenly and thinly. Pour out any excess.
4. Cook until the top appears dry, about 1 minute. Lift with edge of a heatproof spatula and if the bottom is golden, easy the whole crepe up with the spatula and turn. cook about 1 minute more. Crepes can be stacked and kept warm in a low oven.
Why these are better for you: The soya flour and eggs in these is high in protein, so you are less likely to have a blood sugar rush and crash after these, even if you eat them on their own. Erratic blood sugar plays a massive part in skin problems, accelerated ageing process, stress and digestive issues.
Unfermented soya products like soya flour (and soya milk) are not an especially healthy option to eat every day because they bind (stick to) essential minerals, making it hard for your body to digest them. That’s why I recommend these pancakes for occasional treats rather than every day. In contrast to soya flour and soya milk, fermented soya products are beneficial and can help reduce the hormonal imbalances that lead to breast and prostate issues. Examples of fermented soya products are miso, tempeh and soya yoghurt. So best keep soya flour and soya milk for occasional treats. Coconut oil is fantastic for your brain, your skin and even your digestive system. Unlike many oils, it is not made harmful by normal domestic cooking heat.
This is gorgeous and super fast. I love this on a weekday when I come in late, hungry and don’t feel like spending more than 15 minutes cooking dinner. It works beautifully for small fillets/darnes of chicken, hake, salmon, or cod and I have used it for lamb chops too. Yum! Make up more then you need and store in an airtight jar somewhere dark, so it keeps its precious volatile oils and flavours.
For two:
1/2 tsp chilli powder (or a whole teaspoon if you use very mild chilli)
1 tsp Himalayan or Atlantic Sea Salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs each of:
Coarsely ground black pepper
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Ground coriander
2 x small (100g) chicken fillets, 130g-150g darnes/fillets of salmon/white fish or 4 lamb centre loin chops
For cooking:
Juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon (or a little olive oil if you don’t have lemon)
Mix everything well and store in an airtight jar away from light and heat until ready to use.
When you want to cook the meat or fish, pour some of the spice blend onto a plate. Rub with a little lemon juice on your meat/fish. Dip/roll the meat or fish in the spice mix until totally coated on all sides.
Cook in the oven on an oaked baking sheet or under the grill.
Oven: 1/2 an hour at 180C for small chicken fillets, 15 minutes for fish fillets
Grill: Around 7 minutes each side for chicken or around 3-4 minutes each side for fillets or darnes of salmon, hake or cod.Serve with:
2-3 cups steamed broccoli, green beans, runner beans or peas per person, dressed with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a knob of coconut oil.
A large mixed salad of green leaves, sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumber or courgettes, dressed with one of my salad dressings from this blog.
Why this is good for you: Herbs and spices are a fantastic way to get even more taste and vitality into your day. They are antioxidant, anti inflammatory, heal the digestive system (chillies can help heal ulcers!) and keep you younger longer by holding back the ageing process. Many help alleviate skin conditions by supporting your liver function. Black pepper contains piperine, a substance that increases your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals in the meal. Herbs and spices contain tens or hundreds of times more antioxidants than fruit and vegetables, weight for weight. Vegetables (and small amounts of fruit) are still a powerhouse for wellness but don’t forget the herbs and spices.
This is a delicious bright green soup and contains protein from the peas. It is a meal in itself and just the thing for a wintery Irish January day while you recover from the festive season splurge. It takes about 20 minutes to make and it freezes well. Dried herbs won’t really cut it in this soup, it just won’t taste great. I got the original recipe from Rose Elliot’s “Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking” but adapted it to use better-for-you oils and fats.
For 4:
15g butter or ghee (clarified butter, suitable for those with dairy intolerance), or if you don’t have either of these, 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
900g frozen peas (petits pois are the nicest)
1½ litre vegetable stock (make by boiling up chopped carrots, onions, cabbage or other green veg stalks, a leek and a bouquet garni) or use Kallo veg stock cubes/Marigold bouillon
A generous handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs chopped fresh mint
To serve: extra virgin olive oil or natural yoghurt
1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the onion, sweat on a low heat, covered, until soft and translucent.
2. Wash your thyme, then find an elastic band or a piece of string and tie it in a bunch, this saves you spending ages fishing out stray twigs from the soup later. Set aside.
3. Add the peas to the saucepan and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring often. Pour in the stock/water, add the thyme, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for a few mins until the peas are done.
4. Find the bunch of thyme sprigs and roughly (with a spoon) separate the leaves (which you want) from the twigs (which you don’t). Leave the leaves in the soup and throw away the twigs.
5. Add the chopped fresh mint and process till smooth.
Serve with:
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about a teaspoon) or a blob of natural yoghurt on the top. For dairy-free diets, avoid yoghurt.
Variations:
If you want to increase the variety of vegetables in this soup you can add 1 large leek at the same time as the onion.
Why this is good for you: Peas are a great source of vegetable protein so this is a good sustaining soup and a perfectly balanced meal even on its own. The protein and the fats will keep you full for ages. Like all intensely green vegetables, peas are also rich in magnesium. You need magnesium for stress management, sleep, detox and even weight loss. This soup avoids harmful refined oils (most cooking oils). Refined oils are found in shop confectionery, biscuits and cakes, processed foods and all cooking oils except cold-pressed or extra virgin oils. Heating virgin cold pressed nuts/seed oils makes them harmful. Olive oil can be gently heated, and virgin coconut oil/ghee/butter are safe for cooking at higher temperatures. Marigold, Vecon or Kallo are better quality stock cubes than most. Thyme has powerful antioxidant anti-inflammatory properties which slow ageing and tune up the health of your digestive system. Mint helps calm and soothe your whole digestive system.
We had this for dinner last night – what a lovely change after all the festive overindulgence….
This recipe is great with fillets of lemon sole or monkfish. You could also use cod or hake though these do have a tendancy to break up more easily (so don’t stir during cooking or they will go to mush). Thai Curry paste from Western companies like Sharwoods is less hot then that from Asian shops so choose whatever you prefer. This recipe is also good made with shelled king prawns which can be cooked from frozen (but don’t cook for more than a few minutes or they will become tough!).
For two:
2 medium white fish fillets (about 130-150g each), skinned and cut into bite sized cubes
1 large onion, roughly chopped or a bunch of spring onions, cut in 2cm lengths
200g frozen peas (for alternative, using courgettes, see below)
2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2-3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste (or yellow/red if you don’t have green)
1 small tin coconut milk (165ml tin from Asian shops/good supermarkets)
Juice of 1 small lime (or use the juice of half a lemon)
2-3 heaped tablespoons chopped fresh coriander if you have it
Optional: 1 dsp of Thai fish sauce
1. In a wide bottomed saucepan or frying pan on a medium heat mix the coconut milk, curry paste, and fish sauce if using, and stir until smooth
2. Add the onion and cook, covered, till softened (about 8-10 mins for white onions, about 3 minutes for spring onions).
3. Add the garlic, peas (breaking the lumps up), courgette if using, and fish to the mix in the pan and stir well to coat everything in sauce. If the mixture looks a little less saucy then you would like or looks like drying out, add a tablespoon of water (the fish will give off liquid during the cooking too).
4. Cover with a lid or a plate simmer for about 5 minutes until the fish is opaque.
5. Squeeze over the lime (or lemon) juice, and sprinkle on the coriander.
Serve with:
Low carb or SC Diet: https://annacollins.ie/cauliflower-rice/
OR
Grains (not suitable for SC Diet):
Brown basmati or long-grain rice cooked with ½ teaspoon of turmeric to give a beautiful golden colour.
100% buckwheat noodles (Health stores/Asian shops)
Variation:
We ran out of peas the other night and used a couple of large courgettes instead. Sliced into 1cm disks and added 5 mins after the onions, they are delicious too.
Ketogenic diet option:
Avoid using the peas and instead use courgettes, and don’t use rice or noodles instead. As a cheat, you could use “zero” or “slim” noodles from Asian shops or health stores, which are made from konjac. Konjac helps feed good bacteria in your gut, which can aid weight loss. Konjac is not absorbed or digested by your body, so they effectively have zero calories!!
Why this is good for you: Herbs, spices (in curry paste) and garlic give a huge boost to your health, helping detoxification, reducing inflammation and delaying ageing (great news for any of us over 30!). If you want beautiful, clear skin and a healthy digestive system, cooking daily with herbs, garlic and spices is a winner. All green vegetables are rich in magnesium, which also helps us to relax, sleep well and feel upbeat. Coconut milk is high in good fats called medium chain triglycerides which are great for energy, being burned off by your body instead of being stored in fat cells. Coconut also contains lauric acid and caprylic acid, both of which help prevent excessive yeasts and “bad” bacteria in your gut. Coriander helps bind (and safely remove) toxins in your digestive system, especially mercury which you ingest (every time you eat) if you have old-fashioned silver-coloured dental fillings. Cooking at low temperatures like this (100C or less), instead of frying or roasting, keeps more nutrients in your food too.
I got this idea for a crumble topping from Domini Kemp and adapted it to be less tooth-achingly sweet and gluten & dairy-free. I love this decadent topping because it means you don’t have the time-consuming fiddly task of sticking pastry tops onto your mince pies (a real pain if you are making a large batch). You can make this topping in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight jar for a week or two.
This also makes a gorgeous topping for any sort of fruit crumble if you mix it 60:40 with gluten-free oatflakes.
To top 16 mince pies
Pinch of Ceylon cinnamon
25g virgin coconut oil (or butter, if you want dairy)
12g xylitol
25g brown rice flour
25g ground almonds
25g flaked almonds
1. If you have a food processor but the ingredients except the flaked almonds in a food processor and blitz until it resembles breadcrumbs. Empty into another bowl and stir in the almonds.
If you don’t have a food processor, rub the ingredients together (except for the flaked almonds) by hand then stir in the flaked almonds.
2. Divide between 16 mince pies and bake at 180C fan/195C until brown. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes.
Why these are better for you: Because these pies don’t contain refined sugar (if you use my mincemeat recipe) they don’t immediately start to drain your body of nutrients like magnesium (for mood) or selenium (needed for fat-burning thyroid hormones). The nuts, although cooked (and therefore no longer containing much in the way of healthy oils!) do contain protein, which helps prevent the dips and peaks in blood sugar that can make you feel tired or narky. Coconut oil is not damaged by baking so its still healthy in the finished product. The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil are useful for energy levels as they are used directly by your body instead of being stored as fat in your cells. Virgin coconut oil rules!! Ceylon cinnamon (but not normal cassia cinnamon sold as “cinnamon”) helps your body regulate blood sugar. This helps reduce the risk of peaks and troughs in energy, brain function and mood throughout the day. It also helps reduce likelihood of developing diabetes.
We drank this out of a flask today after a winter woodland walk when we were all frozen. I concocted it a few years ago so drivers and other non-drinkers got something interesting to drink at our mulled wine and mince pie night. It has the tanginess and colour of mulled wine and all the lovely spiceyness of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. If you like you can make this a day or two ahead of time and cool covered with a lid so the lovely aromas don’t disappear…
For 4 big glasses:
3 good quality hibiscus tea bags (try to buy from health stores because they taste better). If the teabags have other flavours such as lemon, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, star anise in as well that’s fine) (see below for alternatives to teabags)
750ml boiling water
3 long strips of orange peel (use a potato peeler to do this) from 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange (take the strips of peel off first as its harder to do after juicing)
12 whole cloves
10cm cinnamon stick
A good grating of whole nutmeg (or a large pinch of ground nutmeg but this makes the drink look more cloudy)
2 tbs xylitol (from health stores), or to taste For more info on unusual ingredients, see my larder & shopping section
1. Boil the kettle, then in a saucepan pour 750 ml boiling water over the 3 teabags. Add the orange peel, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and xylitol.
2. Leave to infuse on a very low heat, covered with a lid or plate, for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the orange, strain it and discard the “bits”.
3. When all the flavours have infused well in to the liquid, fish out the teabags and add the juice of the orange. Adjust the sweetness, adding more xylitol if it’s not sweet enough already.
4. When you are ready to drink it, heat through and pour into glasses.
Variations:
Try adding extra zestiness by adding fresh ginger tea. Infuse a heaped teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger in half a cup (around 125ml) of boiling water, then strain the liquid into your mulled non-wine. Or simply thinly slice 3cm of fresh ginger root into the saucepan before you add the 750ml boiling water.
You could use Biona unsweetened cranberry juice (I suggest around 100ml) instead of hibiscus teabags. The cranberry also gives the tart flavour you need for the mulled non-wine. Biona brand is in health stores and Dublin Food Co Op.
Instead of whole cinnamon and cloves you could use ground but remember this will make the drink cloudy.
Why this is better for you: Because this recipe uses xylitol instead of sugar, and hibiscus instead of wine, its a really low GI (or low sugar) drink. This means it doesn’t rob your body of nutrients like sugar or sugary alcaholic drinks (eg wine) do. Spices (ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and more) are a powerhouse for your wellbeing because they are anti-microbial, acting like natural antibiotics without the downside of antibiotics. Spices help you resist getting colds, flu and skin infections (e.g. acne), so they are a brilliant thing to eat or drink every day.
This is a real crowd-pleaser that an Italian lady taught me to make when I was au-pairing in Rome. Rather then being fried, the meatballs are actually cooked in the tomato sauce. You really need lean meat for this otherwise you’ll have a lot of fat floating on the serface. Its up to you (and incidentally saturated fat is not the demon we were led to believe – much scientific evidence now to prove it).
If you would like to reduce the quantity of meat in the recipe, substitute cooked puy lentils for some of the meat. Raw meatballs freeze well too – just thaw thoroughly before cooking in tomato sauce.
For 5-6 big eaters
For the meatballs:
350g lean beef mince, organic if possible
350g lean lamb mince (or use extra beef mince if you prefer)
2 tbs freshly grated parmesan (if avoiding dairy, use 100% wholemeal gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of the cheese. If you eat gluten, normal brown crumbs are OK)
1 heaped tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
A few good grinds of black pepper
1 organic egg, beaten
A pinch of himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
For the sauce:
1 litre passata (sieved tomatoes)
1 onion, peeled and halved.
1 dsp extra virgin olive oil
Small bunch fresh basil, rinsed, if you have it.
1. In a bowl combine all the meatball ingredients and mix well – the quickest way to do this is with your hands.
2. Shape into balls about ¾” in diameter and place in a single layer on a plate in the fridge to solidify for at least ½ hour if possible.
3. To make the tomato sauce combine the passata, the peeled halved onion and olive oil in a wide-bottomed saucepan or deep frying pan, bring to the boil, then simmer until the onion is translucent – usually about 20 minutes. This sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance if you wish.
4. To cook the meatballs, bring the tomato sauce up to the boil in your wide bottomed saucepan or frying pan, then gently slide the meatballs in so they form a single layer. Do not stir (or you will break up the meatballs), just shake gently if necessary to distribute the meatballs in a single layer.
5. Cook on a medium heat for around 20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
6. Remove the stalks from the basil, tear up roughly and add to the pan. Serve in bowls.
Serve with:
A large salad of green leaves and radicchio, cucumber and thinly sliced red onions
Optional extra (if you don’t want weight loss). Choose one:
A slice of gluten-free wholemeal bread or (if you eat gluten) some 100% wholemeal sourdough bread
2-3 baby boiled potatoes per person
Why this is good for you: Cooking meat at low temperature in the sauce avoids the production of the harmful oxidation products. Oxidation by products from charring food cause free radical damage, linked to digestive and skin problems, inflammation and premature ageing. Tomato sauce is very rich in lycopene, a potent anti ageing, anti-inflammatory antioxidant. Red meat is a good source of iron so for many people it’s useful to eat once or twice a week.
This is a nice, comforting weekday recipe and is great value too. It freezes well to give you a stash of ready meals.
Indian lentil dhal
For 3 See “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients
1 rounded dsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 pint boiling water (or water leftover from steaming vegetables)
1 tsp Dr Coy’s Vegetable Bouillon (for SC Diet). Otherwise Kallo low salt veg stock cube (optional) or 1level tsp Vecon vegetable bouillon
28g creamed coconut, grated or chopped up – or 2 tbs thick tinned full fat coconut milk
Black pepper
1 level tsp (teaspoon) turmeric
1 rounded tsp garam masala (from Asian shops or make your own by grinding 25 g each of cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns in a coffee grinder or mini food processor to a fine powder)
225g/1 cup/230ml red lentils
Optional: a handful of fresh (rinsed and destalked) coriander leaves to garnish
Put onions, oil, 1 tsp water into a saucepan, cover and sweat 5 mins until onions are softened.
Add spices, garlic, cook 2 mins. Add a tablespoon or two of water if the mixture is dry.
Stir in the lentils, cook 1 min, add the boiling water. NB Don’t add stock cube or salt-containing vegetable bouillon before lentils are cooked or they will toughen and take forever.
Bring to the boil, cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 mins or until soft.
Meanwhile dissolve the veg stock cube or bouillon if using in a little boiling water. Stir the chopped/grated coconut or thick coconut milk and the dissolved stock cube (if using) into the cooked lentils until dissolved. The mixture should be soft but not sloppy.
Season to taste, adding more water if you want the mix thinner.
Scatter over the coriander leaves if using
Serve with:
At least 1/2 a plateful steamed greens and other vegetables per person (e.g. shredded cabbage, broccoli florets, mange tout peas, sugar snaps, green beans and cauliflower, sliced carrots or sliced/diced turnips) and optionally (if you’re NOT on SC Diet) a little brown rice
Why this recipe is good for you: Spices and herbs lower inflammation and delay the onset of wrinkles! Soluble fibre in lentils and beans feeds good gut bacteria needed for a healthy immune system, good digestive and bowel function and hormonal balance. This type of fibre lowers cholesterol, and helps eliminate used hormones and toxins by sticking to them in the gut, carrying them safely out through the bowels. Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides that go to help energy production rather then being stored in your body as fat. These medium chain triglycerides are also helpful for brain function, especially for anyone experiencing age-related memory decline. Lentils and brown rice are also rich in B vitamins needed for energy production, libido, stress control and mood. Deficiency of B vitamins is common if you are stressed or regularly eat refined foods, stimulants or drink excess alcohol.
The most gorgeous crumble I ever ate was made by my flatmate John from a glut of Victoria plums in the front garden. This jewel-red crumble from apples and berries reminds me of it. Use apples and blackberries, raspberries or even blackcurrants, or apples on their own, or plums. If you use plums it’s a good idea to quarter them and take out the stones before cooking. Just make sure you have around 1000g of fruit in total – it doesn’t have to be exact though. Remember to taste the fruit mix as soon as it has softened in the pan, adding more sweetening if you need to. Here I have used 900g apple and 100g of blackberries.
For 6 servings:
Fruit mix
1kg cooking apples (or add some red fruits and reduce the amounts of apple)
4 tbs water
Sweetening to taste: I use 30 drops of stevia or a couple of tablespoons of xylitol/erythritol (health shops)
140g blackberries (about a mugful) thawed or fresh
Crumble topping
30g virgin coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil (or, if you eat dairy, normal butter, organic if possible)
100g ground almonds
100g gluten-free oat flour (make by whizzing GF oats in your food processor) or use normal oats if you have no problem with oats
1 heaped tbs xylitol or erythritol (or a little more to taste, if you like)
A little extra oil for greasing
Pyrex/ovenproof dish/small roasting pan (I use one 17 x 27 x 6cm high and the quantities work well.
1. Preheat oven to 170c.
2. Prepare the apples by washing, peeling and slicing. Grease your dish with whatever sort of oil you are using. Layer the apples and blackberries in your dish, sprinkling over some xylitol/erythritol on each layer until all the sweetening is used up. If you are using stevia drops instead, put them in about 3 tbs of water and use this to sprinkle over the layers until everything is used up.
4. In a bowl or food processor mix the oat flour, ground almonds and xylitol/erythritol. Rub in or process the coconut oil, ghee or butter or mix in the avocado oil until the whole thing looks a bit like breadcrumbs.
5. Pour the fruit mix into the dish, spread the topping over evenly, and bake in the oven until the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Why this is better for you: Cooked apples are a rich source of pectin, a type of prebiotic fibre that feeds your beneficial gut bacteria so critical for your immune system (and your whole body). Prebiotic fibre in oats, berries and plums also feeds good bugs. If your weekly eating contains many different types of plants, herbs and spices you will be working wonders for your gut bacteria and your health. Different beneficial bacteria need different plant fibres.
The crumble topping in this dessert is gluten-free. Gluten is difficult for anybody to digest, not just people with gluten-intolerance or coeliac disease. Gluten grains, especially wheat, are also high in phytates. Phytates are natural plant substances that inhibit you from absorbing important minerals in your diet (e.g. zinc, needed for efficient immunity).
If you are dairy-intolerant, you can still enjoy dairy in the form of ghee (clarified butter). This is where the butter is heated until it seperates. The milky white liquid on the bottom, underneath the pure butter fat, is discarded. This gets rid of the casein (dairy protein) that is a problem for people with dairy intolerances. Avocado oil is also a good choice for crumbles as it isn’t converted by the heat of the oven into a toxic fat. Avocado oil and olive oil are monounsaturated fats so much less damaged by heat then nut/seed oils like rape, sunflower or vegetable oil.
Virgin coconut oil iis also good as it contains capryllic acid and medium chain triglycerides. Capryllic acid helps inhibit overgrowth of disease-causing yeasts/candida in your gut. Medium chain triglycerides are a good source of energy which are easily digested and are burnt for energy rather than being converted into body fat.
Just concocted this for breakfast today. I had lots of foraged blackberries in the freezer and had taken out a cupful to thaw overnight. I have to say it was fab, and SOOO SIMPLE. I make mine so thick I eat it with a spoon, but you can also make it thinner with more liquid. This will keep you full for ages with its generous amounts of healthy protein, good fats and only small amounts of carbohydrate (sugars). It’s also a genius way of incorporating the fermented superfood, keffir, into your diet. Blueberries or mixed frozen berries also work fine instead of the blackberries. For the ground seeds, I grind organic seeds, keeping them fresh in a glass screw top jar in the fridge. It’s best this way but you can of course buy a good cold-milled ready-made brand like Linwood’s and store airtight in the fridge.
What you need (for one person):
1. Liquid: 200ml liquid + extra to thin: additive-free almond/coconut milk with no added sugar. (If you eat gluten, you can use unsweetened oat milk instead if you like and if you eat dairy you can use kefir or cow/goat milk)
2. Protein and good-for-you fats: One scoop high quality protein powder – my favourites are Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Vanilla and Solgar Whey to Go vanilla (which contains dairy). You could also use sprouted rice protein, hemp protein or pea protein or a mixture of them to give a more neutral flavour. 1 tbs ground seed blend – pumpkin, flax, sesame and sunflower
Optional: 1/4-½ a ripe avocado
3. Antioxidant-rich fruits: 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blackberries, blueberries or mixed berries.
4. Optional sweetening if needed:
If you use Sun Warrior protein powders they usually contain stevia so you don’t need extra sweetening.
Stevia drops/powder or, if you don’t have it, Xylitol to taste
To make:
Blitz everything together for a minute or two. If you like a thinner drink, add more liquid. Enjoy…
Why this is great for you Berries are a great source of bioflavonoids, naturally occorring plant substances that help build and maintain collagen in your skin, bones and connective tissue. This means firmer, younger looking skin and stronger bones. Berries also contain salicylates. Salicylates are substances related to aspirin, that also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Making this a thick breakfast that you eat with a spoon means you will eat it more slowly, allowing the food to mix with the digestive enzymes produced in your mouth. This allows you to digest it even better than simply knocking back a thinner drink in 5 seconds.
Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fats and vitamin E, both of which are good for your heart and skin health. Vitamin E helps dampen down allergies and inflammation (eg hives, eczema). Vitamin E is also important to help vitamin C be used in your body. This again helps build collagen, bones and keep your blood flowing properly to all areas of your body. Vitamin E moisturises your skin from within. If your skin is healthy you will never need to use moisturisers except maybe on your feet, where slight natural hardening of the skin protects your feet. Ground seeds and lecithin produce essential fats for better skin, hair and general health. Non genetically-modified (non GMO) lecithin provides phosphatidyl choline, crucial for cognitive function. Phosphatidyl choline is found in organ meats and organic egg yolks. So if you don’t often eat those foods, lecithin is really important. Good quality protein and good fats are important to eat at breakfast and every meal. Low protein, high grain diets are the main cause of weight gain, diabetes and cognitive/mental health issues as well as digestive issues and skin problems. For more information, read “Grain Brain” by David Perlmutter.
