We love this cake which I adapted from the recipe by Rose Cousins, swapping in cooking oils that are better for you. It’s naturally free from gluten and dairy. I made this once, years ago, and it was so delicious we stopped making the “normal” family Christmas cake. Because of the dried fruit, this cake, like all fruit cakes is high in (natural) sugars so it’s never going to be a vitality boosting food. But sometimes, who cares!! These amounts make a 15cm (6”) square cake. If you like a larger cake, use a 18×18 cm square (7”) tin and twice the quantities of ingredients below. You will need to increase the cooking time by around 30 minutes. If you go through the whole process of the greasproof and brown paper your cake will not burn.
Don’t forget to check my larder & shopping section for any new/unusual ingredients
165g stoneless dates (not medjool)
115ml virgin avocado oil, macadamia oil or light olive oil
55g rice flour
55g coconut flour
55g tapioca flour
165g organic un-sulphured sultanas
165g organic un-sulphured raisins
55g organic un-sulphured currants
55g natural glace cherries (without red food colouring), rinsed in hot water to remove sugar syrup, dried, and halved
OR 40g dried sour cherries soaked overnight in boiling water to help them plump up
28g ground almonds
1 heaped tsp mixed spice
3 large eggs (or use Orgran No Egg Egg Replacer from health shops for an egg-free cake – whisk the egg replacer with water before adding to the other ingredients)
Optional: grated rind of 1 unwaxed lemon and orange, organic if possible
Brown paper and oil for greasing
Silicon or grease proof baking paper
A 15cm (6″) square baking tin (or 17.5cm/7″ round tin)
For the almond paste (marzipan) topping (this is not egg-free!):
1 quantity of almond paste from my recipe (posted separately)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Gluten-free* icing sugar or finely ground xylitol or erythritol Ie.g. NKD Living brand) for rolling
*most icing sugar is GF but do check labels if you need to avoid gluten
1. Line the base and sides of tin with brown paper and greaseproof paper, allowing the brown paper to come at least 2” above top of tin.
2. Wrap an outer collar of brown paper around the tin to come up as high above the tin as the tin itself. Secure with pins or paperclips. This outer collar and all the layers inside stops your cake burning at the edges before it’s cooked at the centre.
3. Chop dates small and place in a pan with 145ml water
4. Simmer on a low heat for 10 mins until the dates are soft. Cool.
5. Preheat oven to 170C
6. Process/beat together dates, oil, almonds, spices, eggs, flours until well blended.
7. Stir in the fruit, mix well by hand. Don’t beat or you will get a cake like concrete.
8. Place in the lined, greased 6” baking tin
9. Bake for 30 mins at 170C
10. Then lower the oven to 145C for another 45 mins. Test with a needle – if it comes out clean, the cake is 100% done.
11. Allow to cool in the tin, then remove and store, still wrapped in paper, until ready to use (or cover in marzipan). I am posting my marzipan recipe separately and will be uploading pictures soon…
To cover the cake with marzipan (almond paste)
When you are ready to cover the cake with almond paste, remove the paper from the cake. Put a sheet of greaseproof/silicon paper on the work surface and dust with some gluten-free icing sugar or finely ground xylitol.
Roll out about half the almond paste on the paper: it should be a little less than 1cm thick. Brush the top and sides of the cake with lightly beaten egg white and put the cake, sticky side down, on top of the rolled out almond paste.
Covering the cake in almond paste
Give the cake a thump to make sure it sticks and then cut around the edge. If the cake is a little “round shouldered”, cut the almond paste a little larger.
With a palette knife press the extra almond paste in against the top of the cake to fill any gaps.
Measure the circumference of the cake with a piece of string. Roll out 2 long strips of almond paste to half that length: trim both edges to the height of the cake with a palette knife.
Brush both the cake and the almond paste lightly with egg white. Press the strip against the sides of the cake: do not overlap or there will be a bulge. Use a straight-sided glass to even the edges and smooth the join.
Rub the cake well with your hand to ensure a nice flat surface. Keep any leftover almond paste keep for later to make chocolate-dipped marzipan balls with (to be posted in the next few weeks!).
Let the marzipan dry out for at least 2 days before icing the cake as normal (we don’t even eat the icing, we just break it off and eat the rest, but it looks great!)
Why this cake is better for you: Macadamia nut oil is used for this delicious cake as it can be cooked at temperatures up to 200C without producing harmful trans fats. Trans fats are contained in all polyunsaturated supermarket oils and in any polyunsaturated oils that have been heated. Damaged (trans) fats damage and age your body. So if you want to have great skin, a healthy heart, and tip top digestion, it’s a good idea to phase them out of your diet. Ready meals, takeaways, most cooking oils, and shop-bought biscuits and confectionery are sources of trans fats. The 2 oils that are best for cooking are virgin coconut oil and virgin macadamia oil. Most other oils should be eaten cold-pressed and raw. Extra virgin oil can be added to stews and soups, or to finished dishes, provided you don’t fry with it. If you want to know more about oils that help your health, read “Fats that heal Fats that kill” by Udo Erasmus (more details on www.annacollins.ie). Unsulphured dried fruit does not use sulphur dioxide, a preservative. Sulphur dioxide is acted upon by sulphur-reducing bacteria in your bowel (if your bowel bacteria is imbalanced) and this can cause bloating, gas or headaches if you are suseptable.
Making marzipan with xylitol instead of almond paste makes it kind to your teeth. Xylitol inhibits the bacteria that cause tooth decay from sticking to your teeth. Xylitol is also lower GI than sugar, so is kinder to your body.
I took a notion with some leftover stuffing last week and made this and it was lovely, moist and rich. It brought me right back to sister Carmel’s home economics class in my convent school many years ago. Only she used breadcrumb stuffing instead of gluten-free chestnut stuffing. If you want, you can make the stuffing (posted last week) using gluten-free brown breadcrumbs instead of the chestnut. It works just as well provided you add enough oil or butter to moisten the crumbs so they will stick together when pressed with your hand.
For 2
1 1/2 -2 cups of my chestnut stuffing (you don’t have to be exact here)
2 fresh mackerel fillets
I roasting tin, pyrex dish or baking sheet
A little oil to grease
Preheat the oven to 200C and grease the tin (just the merest hint of oil to prevent the fish sticking).
Cut the mackerel fillets in half across the fish (not lengthways).
Lay one half of each fillet skin side down in the tin, top with half the stuffing. Lay the second half on top of each, skin side up this time.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your fillets. When done, the point of a skewer or sharp knife will slip easily through the flesh once you have pierced the skin. You want the fish still moist and juicy and not dried out.
Serve with:
Steamed green vegetables and carrots topped with a knob of virgin coconut oil, a drizzle of lemon juice or a glug of extra virgin olive oil.
Why this recipe is good for you: Mackerel is a great source of vitality-boosting omega 3 oils and baking it rather than frying preserves the omega 3 benefits. Herbs and spices are a powerhouse of anti-inflammatory substances that promote health. Hundreds of thousands of high quality research papers now show that herbs have powerful effects for good on your health – from delaying aging, to helping heal an inflamed digestive system, to even helping your liver cope with too much rich food (and drink). Chestnuts are low GI (low in natural sugars), making them a healthier option than breadcrumbs.
I love this warming, filling soup that’s rich in protein. A complete meal with a little green salad on the side (or some spinach leaves or leftover cooked greens stirred in at the end) it makes a complete meal. I usually freeze the leftovers in individual serving sizes to take to work on a cold, frosty day.
For 4 (or 2 with generous leftovers)
1 large onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
500ml carton of passata (sieved tomatoes) or a 400g can tomatoes chopped or whole
750ml water or leftover vegetable cooking water (e.g. from steaming veg)
175g red lentils
1 teaspoon additive-free vegetable stock powder. Dr Coys Organic Vegetable Bouillon is best and suitable for SC diet. From health stores.
3 heaped tbsp freshly chopped or frozen chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Optional extras (health and flavour boosters) to add to the :
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger + heaped teaspoon turmeric powder added during cooking
1. Put the onion, celery, garlic, tomatoes and water into a large saucepan. Add the lentils afterwards making sure they are submerged in liquid. Lentils tend to stick to the bottom so I don’t stir this until they are cooked.
2. Boil for 20 mins/until lentils are soft. Only stir the lentils gently at the very top if they are stuck together, otherwise leave them alone.
3. Mix the veg stock powder into a little water and add to the soup AFTER the the lentils are cooked otherwise the salt will make the lentils take forever to cook.
4. If you like a smoothish soup then add the parsley and olive oil and blitz with a stick blender or in a food processor.
Variation:
Add 2 sliced carrots along with the celery and onion.
Health boosting tip:
Soak your lentils overnight in cold water. This starts them sprouting, which makes them even more digestible. I don’t bother unless I have extra time to spare.
Why this soup is good for you: Lentils are rich in magnesium which is Nature’s tranquiliser, helping reduce stress. They and onions are also rich in soluble fibre, which feeds beneficial bacteria in your gut. “Good” bacteria help produce digestive enzymes to help you digest your food. They also generate butyrate, which aids daily repair of your bowel – good news for your skin, your hair, your digestion, even your mood. Lentils, like all beans and pulses, need to be either sprouted or boiled for at least 10 minutes to make them digestible. However, lentils, split peas and all sprouted or fermented versions (eg bean sprouts, tofu) are the easiest of the beans/pulses to digest because they are lower in protease inhibitors. Protease inhibitors are substances that inhibit digestion and are found to some extent in all plant foods – vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans. Remember that beans, seeds and nuts are designed to be eaten by an animal, pass through the gut undigested, and then be deposited by the animal in a nice blob of “fertiliser” to grow into a new plant! Protease inhibitors are found in the skins of beans and pulses and are neutralised by soaking in cold water for at least 12 hours and then sprouting or fermenting or boiling hard for 10 minutes.Sieved tomatoes (passata) are rich in lycopene and beta carotene – fantastic for eye health and getting heathier looking skin. The extra virgin olive oil helps your body absorb the beta carotene.
I ate something similar to this on my first Christmas away from home, which happened to be Italy (as au pair to a hoard of screaming children!). They really knew how to do amazing things with chestnuts but my favorite was the turkey stuffing. We use this every year for our turkey and love it. You can use leftover uncooked spare stuffing to make a fantastic quick roast fish (baked mackerel with chestnut stuffing). Buy vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts from delis or (better-value) dried chestnuts from health stores such as Asia Market, Drury St, Dublin 2 or Down to Earth in South Great George’s St, Dublin 2. Enjoy…
Makes 600ml stuffing (enough to stuff the body cavity and neck of a 1.8kg bird) with about 1 cup of leftovers which you can use to make my delicious stuffed mackerel fillets for another dinner…
250g cooked peeled chestnuts
or
130g dried peeled chestnuts , soaked overnight, then boiled till tender, drained
1 heaped dsp fresh thyme leaves (or a 1 level tsp dried, but fresh is much nicer)
1 rounded dsp chopped sage
2 heaped dsp chopped parsley
A few good grinds of black pepper
1/4 level tsp Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
60g onion, finely chopped so it cooks properly (1/2 a medium onion)
1 level dsp light olive oil, virgin macadamia oil or clarified butter (these 3 options are all good for people on a dairy-free diet), or regular butter if you eat dairy.
Process or mash thoroughly the chestnuts until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs, tip into a bowl with the chopped onion, herbs and seasoning.
If using butter, melt it gently. Add your butter or oil to the bowl and mix well. This stuffing can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge before using.Variation:
If you prefer, use half chestnuts and half brown gluten-free (or granary if you eat gluten) breadcrumbs. For each cup of processed chestnuts use 1 cub of breadcrumbs. Why this is better for you: Chestnuts are lower glycaemic index (lower sugar) than bread so are a much healthier alternative. They also contain potassium, which helps your body neutralise the effects of eating too much meat at Christmas. Fresh herbs are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing – good news especially at Christmas when all that extra sugary, bready food and alcohol can take its toll.
Don’t know about you but I’m really looking forward to Christmas and have started my baking already. This recipe is the nicest mincemeat and doesn’t boil over during baking. It’s adapted from Rose Cousin’s “Cooking Without” recipe book for people avoiding gluten or dairy. But I’ve been making it for years because I love it. Store this mincemeat in a sterile glass jar. If you intend to store for more than a couple of weeks, allow the mincemeat to cool a little before adding a tablespoon of brandy/whiskey. Mix well just before bottling. You can sterilise jars by boiling the lids in water and heating the jars themselves to around 80C in the oven for 15 minutes.
Organic where possible:
450g peeled cored eating (not cooking) apples – Cox’s are fantastic for flavour
225g unsulphured sultanas
225g unsulphured raisins
110g dried mixed peel (if you avoid citrus, or want to 100% avoid the refined sugar in the peel, use currants or chopped unsulphured apricots instead.
Rind and juice of 1 orange, organic is possible (if avoiding citrus, use apple juice instead)
¼ teaspoon allspice
Level tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1/2 level tsp nutmeg
A little cloudy apple juice
1. Mix together all the ingredients in a large cooking pot with lid
2. Simmer very gently ½ hour
Pastry recipes:
This one’s dairy free, gluten-free https://www.annacollins.ie/gorgeous-gluten-free-mince-pies/
This gluten-free one is made with butter https://www.annacollins.ie/fantastic-buttery-gluten-free-pastry-for-pies-tarts-and-mince-pies/. If you are sensitive to dairy products then you can use clarified butter for the pastry. Make this by very gently heating the butter, skim off the foam on the top and chill in a tall drinking glass or jug, then allow to solidify. You will use only the solid part to make your pastry. Discard the white iquid part underneath – that’s where the problematic milk proteins (which provoke the reaction) are found.
When baking your mince pies
Bake 20-25 mins at 200C (185C fan) until golden
You can use an egg wash to stick the pastry tops on the pies.
Put a baking tray over the next rack in the oven so the pies cook evenly through.
Why this is (somewhat) better for you: While I’d love to say this is a health-giving recipe I can’t really because its very high in natural sugars. Although it doesn’t contain refined sugar it IS very high in natural sugars from the dried fruit. BUT this mincemeat is free of low grade oils (like vegetable suet or sunflower oil) and refined sugar – both of which fire up inflammation in you. If you choose organic dried fruit you avoid sulphur dioxide (preservative) that wreaks havoc on so many peoples digestion around Christmas time. This preservative is converted by pathogenic bacteria in your bowel into irritating sulphites, which can cause gas, bloating and general unwellness in your gut. Non-organic grapes (raisins etc) are also very heavily contaminated with herbicides such a glyphosate that cause your gut to leak toxins and undigested food into your bloodstream.(increased intestinal permeability and systemic inflammation). This process predisposes to and perpetuates inflammatory conditions from autoimmunity to mood issues and many more besides. Choosing food free of undesirable contaminants is a great step towards better health. Here’s to a happy and a healthy Christmas. I will certainly be eating some (gluten-free) mince pies…
This is another lovely recipe from Food, Glorious Food by Patrick Holford. If you are using pumpkin for this recipe, use a small one, rather than the large watery-fleshed ones used for carving Halloween lanterns. We loved these and other people seem to love them too. Great hot, warm or at room temperature as an accompaniment to lots of green vegetables and some form of protein (e.g. beans, pulses, meat, fish).
For a more Mediterranean flavour use oregano/Herbes de Provence and ground sweet paprika instead of cumin, coriander and turmeric.
For 4
950g pumpkin or a large butternut squash, washed but unpeeled
Level tsp turmeric
Rounded tsp ground cumin
Rounded tsp ground coriander
Half level tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
2 tbs (140g tin) tomato puree
1 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan).
Cut the squash or pumpkin in half length-ways and scrape out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. For the squash, cut each half into 4, length-ways, so you have 8 long pieces. If using pumpkin, aim to cut into lengthways wedges about 3cm thick.
Mix the turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, tomato puree and oil together in a bowl, then rub the paste all over the squash or pumpkin until evenly coated.
Place the squash in a roasting dish and cook for 45-60 minutes or until the flesh is soft when pierced or squashed.
Serving ideas:
Use as an accompaniment to my chickpea and cauliflower curry for a filling meal.
Substitute for baked potatoes as an accompaniment for meat, fish or a salad
Cut the leftovers into bite sized chunks and mix with salad and beans, fish, meat or eggs for a healthy lunch or lunchbox
Why this is good for you: All orange vegetables are rich in beta carotene, which helps give your skin an attractive golden glow. Most peoples bodies convert beta carotene to vitamin A, needed to protect against infections and for good vision and healthy skin. Herbs and spices are powerful antioxidants, which fight inflammatory conditions like eczema, Crohn’s, colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Squash or pumpkin is a healthier alternative to potatoes as it contains more nutrients, more fibre and less (natural) sugar.
This recipe comes from Food Glorious Food, by Patrick Holford and Fiona McDonald Joyce. I did adapt the quantities slightly, increasing the chickpeas, giving more protein to keep you fuller for longer. We also used curry powder instead of the curry paste recommended and it was still lovely. It isn’t hot. The curry is really a meal in itself without needing accompaniments though we did roast some pumpkin wedges. We coated them in tomato puree and spices according to Patrick and Fiona’s recipe for Indian Spiced butternut squash, also from the same book. Don’t be tempted to leave out the coconut oil – extra (healthy) oils are very important for keeping you fuller longer when you eat animal-free meals.
For 3 big eaters, with a little left for lunch next day: Remember to go to my “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients.
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 heaped tbs Thai curry paste or Sharwoods Madras curry powder (or any curry powder – make sure to check labels for gluten if relevant)
2 large onions, sliced
2/3 large cauliflower, broken into bite size florets
2 x 400g tins chickpeas or 220g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, then boiled till tender to yield 440g when cooked and drained (about 2 mugs)
400ml can full fat coconut milk
100ml hot vegetable stock (use 1/4 teaspoon Marigold bouillon or 1/2 a Kallo vegetable stock cube to make this up)
1 tbs tamari sauce
250g fine green beans (or you could use runner beans, cut into 2″ lengths)
Optional: Handful of coriander, torn or roughly chopped
Put the oil, curry powder and onions in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Le Creuset type pot on a medium heat, mix around, cover with a lid or plate and sweat until softened and translucent – this usually takes around 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and chickpeas to the pan and stir to coat them in the other ingredients.
Pour in the coconut milk, stock and tamari, and stir. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a gentle heat until the cauliflower is nearly done. I found this took about 15 minutes.
Stir in the green beans, cover and cook for another 5 minutes or so until they’re tender. Scatter with the coriander leaves (if using) before serving.
To serve: You can eat this curry on its own, or serve with brown rice or with the gorgeous Indian spiced butternut squash recipe I will be posting shortly.
Why this recipe is good for you: Thousands of clinical studies show that a wide range of spices have profoundly anti-inflammatory properties, helping soothe joints, digestive system and delay ageing. Sometimes people complain that Indian takeaways upset them, thinking it is the spices. It is more likely to be the heavy use of low quality refined oils that promote inflammation and play havoc with their stomachs!! The chickpeas in this recipe are a good source of protein and also of soluble fibre, that feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut to help your health. Chickpeas, like all beans and pulses, need to be soaked and boiled thoroughl (or tinned!) to make them digestible. Virgin coconut oil and full fat coconut milk contain important medium chain triglyceride fats that feed your brain. MCTs also used by the body directly to make energy, rather than being stored as fat – good news if you want to be slim and trim. People with ME/chronic fatigue syndrome particularly benefit from coconut oil in their diets. Cauliflower is a sulphurophane vegetable, helping your liver detoxify used-up hormones and other waste products. Substituting beans/pulses for meat/cheese in some of your meals every week is a good way of helping your kidney function and supporting joint and bone health. Fresh coriander binds to heavy metals such as mercury and aluminium in the gut, helping their safe elimination. “Silver” fillings give off toxic mercury while “normal” tea is high in aluminium, a known neurotoxin. Helping your body eliminate these is good news.
This sauce makes a brilliant base in which to cook or heat vegetables, white fish, tofu, pre-cooked lamb, or cooked chickpeas. It also freezes well for future fast dinners. I have also posted my “Aromatic ginger, tomato & coconut chicken” recipe where I use this lovely sauce to cook chicken fillet and spinach.
For enough sauce for 2 people Remember to check out my “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients
25g creamed coconut cut up roughly OR ½ cup of thick full-fat tinned coconut milk
3-4cm approx of fresh ginger root (enough to give 1 rounded dsp ginger when finely grated)
500g (500ml) bottle of passata (sieved tomatoes – from all supermarkets)
2 green chillies or ¼ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 large handful fresh coriander if you have it
2 large garlic cloves
Version 1 (made with food processor or liquidiser)
1. Peel the garlic, de-seed the chillies (or if you like more heat leave them in), chop the ginger and coriander roughly and throw the lot into a small food processor. A food processor is preferable to jug liquidiser as if gets the ingredients ground up more quickly.
2. Add enough of the passata to get everything going and blitz until smooth.
3. Pour into a saucepan, add the rest of the passata and the creamed coconut or coconut milk and simmer for five minutes until the creamed coconut is melted and the sauce has slightly darkened. The sauce is now ready for use. Or cool and store in the fridge for a day or two until needed, or in the freezer.
Version 2 (without kitchen gadgets)
1. De-seed and chop the chillies, crush or finely chop the garlic, chop up the creamed coconut and the coriander roughly, finely grate the ginger.
2. Put all of this, with the passata, into a saucepan
3. Simmer for 5 minutes until the coconut is melted and the sauce has darkened a little. The sauce is now ready for use. Or cool and store in the fridge for a day or two until needed, or in the freezer.
Add green vegetables of your choice and cubes of raw chicken or fish, or cooked lamb or beef and simmer till everything is cooked. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Chicken pieces and baby spinach (see recipe)
Stir the following into the sauce and bubble, covered, until the veg are cooked but still crunchy, and the meat is heated through:
150 cooked, cubed lamb, 1 x 454g tin or mug of cooked, drained chickpeas, and 4 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 x 450g tins or mugs of cooked, drained chickpeas plus 4 cups green beans cut into 4cm lengths
4 cups broccoli florets or 5cm lengths of runner beans and 300g bite-size cubes of firm white fish such as monkfish, lemon sole or coley
If you are not wanting to lose weight, and are not following a ketogenic or paleo diet, you could also enjoy some brown rice on the side.
Why this recipe is good for you: Processed tomatoes with no additives are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant that protects your skin from the damaging effects UV rays – like an edible sunblock! Your body absorbs lycopene better from pureed tomatoes than from whole tomatoes. Ginger, tomatoes, turmeric and chillies all have anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful for a healthy digestive system and good, clear skin. Non organic rice can be heavily contaminated with arsenic but fresh coriander bind to this and other toxic metals in your intestines, helping them be eliminated from your body. Spices like ginger and garlic help boost liver function, also to eliminate both natural and man-made toxins. Yet more reasons why herbs and spices are fantastic for you. Using passata packaged in glass jars or bottles means less exposure to toxic bisphenol A (BPA) , which is present in the plastic linings of cartons and tins. Scientific studies link BPA to hormonal imbalances such as low libido, endometriosis, fibroids, and hormone breast and prostate cancer) as well as osteoporosis. Limiting your exposure is good news.
I ate this yesterday and enjoyed every bite. For a change I made it using chicken pieces on the bone (instead of bite size chicken pieces) and so then I cooked it for longer. The sauce of tomatoes, chillies, coriander, garlic and ginger also makes a brilliant cook-in sauce for vegetables, white fish, tofu, pre-cooked lamb, or cooked chickpeas. It also freezes well for future fast dinners.
For 2 people Remember to check out my “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients
25g creamed coconut cut up roughly OR ½ cup of thick full-fat tinned coconut milk
3-4cm approx of fresh ginger root, peeled
500g (500ml) bottle of passata (sieved tomatoes – from all supermarkets)
2 green chillies or ¼ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 large handful fresh coriander if you have it
2 large garlic cloves
2 skinless chicken fillets, ideally organic, cut into bite sized chunks
300g organic baby leaf spinach* or chard
Brown basmati rice (optional) plus ground turmeric for cooking.
Version 1 (made with food processor or liquidiser)
1. Peel the garlic, de-seed the chillies (or if you like your dish quite hot leave them in), chop the ginger and coriander roughly and throw the lot into a small food processor. A food processor is preferable to jug liquidiser as if gets the ingredients ground up more quickly.
2. Add enough of the passata to get everything going and blitz until smooth.
3. Pour into a saucepan, add the rest of the passata and the creamed coconut or coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes till the coconut is melted. Stir.
4. Add the chicken pieces and simmer till tender (about 10 mins)
5. Stir in the spinach, turn up the heat and cook until wilted (about 5 mins)
Version 2 (without kitchen gadgets)
1. De-seed and chop the chillies, crush or finely chop the garlic, chop up the creamed coconut and the coriander roughly, finely grate the ginger.
2. Put all of this, with the passata, into a saucepan
3. Simmer for a few mins until the creamed coconut melts, stirring occasionally.
4. Add chicken and simmer until tender (about 10 mins)
5. Stir in the spinach, turn up the heat and cook until wilted (about 5 mins).
*Conventional spinach is one of the most agri-chemical contaminated vegetables you can buy. If you cant get organic spinach then using chard, sliced green leeks, or steamed-til-tender broccoli or steamed green beans are good substitutions.
Serve with:
Some steamed broccoli florets.
If you are not wanting to lose weight and are not on a ketogenic or stoneage/paleo diet you could add (for 2 people):
Brown basmati rice (*boil ½ mug brown rice with 1 mug boiling water and ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, covered, till water is absorbed and rice is fluffed up).
Variation: If you prefer to leave your chicken fillets whole, simply cook for longer in the sauce (about 25 minutes) until cooked through, before adding the spinach for the last few minutes.
Why this recipe is good for you: Processed tomatoes with no additives are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant that protects your skin from the damaging effects UV rays – like an edible sunblock! Your body absorbs lycopene better from pureed tomatoes than from whole tomatoes. Ginger, tomatoes, turmeric and chillies all have anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful for a healthy digestive system and good, clear skin. Non organic rice can be heavily contaminated with arsenic but fresh coriander bind to this and other toxic metals in your intestines, helping them be eliminated from your body. Spices like ginger help boost liver function, also to eliminate both natural and man-made toxins. Yet more reasons why herbs and spices are fantastic for you. Using passata packaged in glass jars or bottles means less exposure to toxic bisphenol A (BPA) , which is present in the plastic linings of cartons and tins. Scientific studies link BPA to hormonal imbalances such as low libido, endometriosis, fibroids, and hormone (e.g. breast and prostate cancer) as well as osteoporosis. Limiting your exposure is good news.
This is another lovely slow-cook recipe for winter. You could also do it on top of the stove so it simmers gently after initially coming up to the boil.
For 2:
250g lamb gigot chops (with bones) or fillet, trimmed of fat and sliced (with bones is better for the flavour)
220g onions (ideally a massive Spanish onion as it saves peeling time!)
2 medium potatoes, ideally a floury type, scrubbed and sliced into rings
1 medium quince/tart eating apple (eg cox’s pippin) washed, and sliced into thick rings (no need to core or peel)
6 large prunes, soaked overnight, drained, stoned and chopped (or use no-soak prunes)
1 level tsp turmeric
2 heaped tsp tomato puree
Juice of 1 small lemon, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 180C
Put a few pieces of the meat in an ovenproof casserole and cover with layers of onion, potato, quince, prunes and spices. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used up.
Dissolve tomato puree in 120ml cold water or leftover veg cooking water, then pour into the casserole.
Cover and cook in the oven until the meat and potatoes are tender. This takes 2 hours if using lamb gigot/fillet. If using unsoaked prunes double the quantity of water in the dish and check every ½ hour to ensure it does not dry out and burn (I found this out by experience!).
Hand around the lemon juice at the table to be added to taste.
Serve with one of these:
A large green salad
Steamed frozen peas
Steamed broccoli or (even better) purple sprouting broccoli
Baby spinach leaves and halved cherry tomatoes drizzled with virgin olive oil
Variations:
Use trimmed organic sirloin steak (takes about an hour but be aware quince takes much longer to cook than an hour so use the apple with this instead) or round steak (takes about 2 hours) instead of the lamb.
Why this recipe is good for you: Powerful antioxidants for health come from the tomato puree (lycopene) and turmeric (curcumin) in this dish. Onions, quince and apples are a great source of soluble fibre to feed beneficial gut bacteria. Meat cooked on the bone releases collageneous substances into the liquid that help nourish and heal the lining of your digestive system. Yes, home made chicken soup and other bone-based broth soups really are good for you. Lamb is a more natural meat exposed to fewer intensive farming practices than some other meats so if you can’t buy organic read meat, its a good choice.
