I was looking for something nice to do with carrots yesterday, found this recipe and adapted it slightly. We didn’t have the coarse-grain mustard or the honey so we left both out and thought it was still nice. I like to make up large bowls of salady things like this in the summer, to keep in the fridge for dipping into at mealtimes. Who wants to spend all evening in the kitchen when the weather’s so nice…
For 2 people (with plenty of leftover dressing):
4 medium carrots
2 tbs sesame seeds
For the dressing:
1 large clove garlic, crushed
Large pinch freshly ground black pepper
1-3 teaspoons of raw honey (optional)
3 heaped dsp coarsegrain mustard (optional) – if you are gluten-intolerant, make sure you check the label!!
400ml virgin cold-pressed sunflower or sesame oil. Dont be temped to use toasted sesame oil, the burnt flavour will be far too strong.
200ml red or white wine vinegar (or you could use apple cider vinegar).
200ml extra virgin olive oil
First toast the seeds on a dry pan over a medium heat, shaking every so often, until slightly golden. Remove from the heat.
Put the dressing ingredients in a large screwtop jar and shake well to mix.
Grate the carrots, add the seeds and enough of the dressing to moisten the whole lot. Stir and serve.
Why this is good for you: Carrots are a brilliant source of carotenes which help protect your eyesight and also give your skin a golden glow, making you look more suntanned. They also help your skin protect itself against UV rays, like a sort of edible sunblock. Raw, unheated (virgin) sesame and sunflower oil are high in omega 6, which helps balance your hormones for increased energy, better mood and even smoother, more moisturised skin. It’s even helpful in reducing PMS. Extra virgin olive oil, while not high in omega 6, is packed full of vitamin E which moisturises your skin from within. Vitamin E helps your body conserve and reuse the vitamin C you get in your diet – increasing its benefitial effects. Vitamin E from olive oil also has an anti-allergy effect. This means it can help reduce symptoms of hayfever, asthma and skin allergies. Mustard is a spice andlike most spices has antioxidant properties linked to slowing ageing, soothing inflammatory conditions and balancing your immune system.
This is my gluten-free take on a delicious Middle Eastern bulgar wheat salad by Claudia Roden. Instead of wheat, I use millet (naturally gluten-free). Everyone takes seconds when I serve it at a buffet or barbeque. I love having it for leftovers too and it keeps for several days. Serve it with some protein such as roast chicken, a bean salad or some felafels, and a large green salad or some wilted spinach leaves dressed with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
For 6:
330g/1½ mugs whole millet grains (from wholefood stores)
800ml/3 mugs boiling water, filtered if possible
1 large onion, red if possible
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
110g tomato puree
Juice of 1 lemon
A bunch of fresh mint, or 1 tbs dried
1 rounded tsp ground cumin
1 rounded tsp ground coriander
1 level tsp ground allspice
110g raw walnuts and/or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1. Add boiling water and millet to a large saucepan, cover with a lid and simmer on a medium heat until the water has been absorbed completely. Fork it up a little to break up the grains.
2. While the millet is cooking, peel and chop the onion and add to a large bowl with the olive oil, tomato puree, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, allspice, nuts and mint.
3. When the millet is cooked, allow it cool down so its tepid or cold. Then add to the rest of the ingredients and mix gently with a fork, avoiding mashing the grains, which should remain distinct from each other.
4. If you have time, leave this sit for an hour, or even overnight, for the flavours to develop.
Why this is good for you: Herbs and spices are packed with beneficial antioxidants which prevent food from spoiling. A high intake of spices helps delay aging and is linked to lower incidence of skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Cumin and coriander help soothe and repair the digestive system while mint is anti-spasmodic, helping prevent cramps, gas and spasms in the bowel.
This is a lovely, earthy and filling summer main course, perfect with a large green salad and maybe something stodgey like a baked sweet potato or some squash wedges. Best eaten warm or at room temperature, rather than straight from the fridge.
For 2:
400g cooked, drained white haricot, cannellini or butter beans – rinsed and drained from a tin, or home-cooked (200g raw weight will give you 400g after overnight soaking and cooking)
1 medium aubergine, cut in 1cm slices and grilled till golden (about 5 minutes each side, I find)
1 dsp chopped red onion (use
1 dsp black olive tapenade from a jar
Large pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tbsp chopped parsley, chives or basil (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
1. In a medium bowl mix the onion, tapenade, chopped herbs and cayenne with a small drizzle of olive oil.
2. Cut the aubergine into bite size pieces and add, with the white beans, to the tapenade mix.
3. Mix well and serve.
Tip: Buy parsley fresh, chop and store in a box or bag in the freezer. That way it’s instantly available all the time.
Why this is good for you: Olives and olive oil are rich in vitamin E which helps moisturise your skin from within and also aids weight management. Yes, adding extra virgin olive oil to your diet has been proven to aid weight loss! Red onion is rich in quercitin, which helps alleviate allergies. White beans are rich in protein at around 8%, and soluble fibre, all of this keeps you fuller longer. Soluble fibre also feeds beneficial bacteria which you need for your digestive wellness, mental health and perfect skin. White haricot beans are a fantastic source of molybdenum, which can help support liver function. Poor skin, low energy, or who has chemical sensitivities can be signs that your liver is under pressure, struggling to meet the detoxification demands of your everyday life and might need more nutrients. Fresh or frozen parsley helps your kidneys to flush out toxins. It’s also rich in iron.
This is a superb but simple recipe I cut out of a magazine years ago. No idea who wrote it. I made a large plate of it recently for a family birthday and we grazed on it for the rest of the weekend. The aubergines cook quite quickly, especially with sliced and grilled or fried. Cook right through: aubergines don’t taste good if undercooked so make sure they are translucent, with no trace of white. If you can’t get pine nuts, you could use flaked almonds instead.
For 4-6 people as a starter, or grazing platter
2-3 medium, aubergines, about 700g
2 tbs sea salt (flakes or finely ground, it doesn’t matter)
About 125ml extra virgin olive oil
50g pine nuts
Small bunch fresh mint, half chopped, half in sprigs
Small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, half chopped, half in sprigs
Few drops balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Cut the aubergines lengthways into 1cm slices. Score both sides of each with a fork. Sprinkle with salt. Drain on a rack for 10-20 minutes, then pat dry with kitchen paper. The salting of the aubergine draws out the bitter juices and makes the end product much sweeter.
Meanwhile, heat a ridged stove-top grill pan until very hot. Wipe with olive oil, using a wad of crumpled kitchen paper or heatproof brush. Paint each slice with oil. Arrange on hot pan, pressing down firmly. cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until grill-marked, tender and aromatic.
Heat a separate frying pan, add pine nuts and toast gently until golden. Set aside.
Scatter cooked aubergine with chopped mint, parsley, black pepper and balsamic vinegar. Loop slices on serving plates, add pine nuts and sprigs of mint and parsley and serve.Why this is good for you: Raw herbs like parsley and mint are a powerhouse of antioxidant, anti-ageing nutrients that help soothe your digestive system. Mint is anti-spasmodic and so can reduce wind. Parsley is rich in iron and is great for your kidneys too. Aubergines are rich in fibre, which is good news for the beneficial bacteria in your gut – they use the indigestible fibre in your food to make healing substances to repair and maintain the health of your small and large intestine. People who eat more vegetables have a lower incidence of ALL digestive disorders, including gallstones, colitis and gastritis. Like most vegetables, aubergines are also high in potassium which helps your body respond well to your natural thyroid hormone (T3). This results in more energy, thicker hair and better bowel regularity.
The good weather got me thinking of this really simple, delicious dish. A Greek classmate once showed me how to make it. She simply charred the peppers in a few minutes over an open gas flame but you can use a grill. This dish works well as a starter with some fresh bread, or as a side dish alongside some meat, grilled/baked white fish or a vegetable frittata. It’s also great for a summer buffet. Using goat or sheep feta gives a lovely crumbly texture and tangy taste and is easier to digest than imitation feta made from cow’s milk.
If you don’t have oregano, you could also use fresh mint or flat leaf parsley.
For 2 people:
2 large green peppers, whole, washed
1 dsp dried oregano or tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
1-2 tbs good quality extra virgin olive oil
20g goat/sheep feta cheese
1. Put the green peppers on a baking sheet under a hot and cook (turning frequently) until most of the skin is charred and the peppers are soft and slightly collapsed.
2. Remove from the heat, leave on the baking sheet, and cover with a large bowl or saucepan for 15 minutes or so. This softens the skins and makes them easier to peel.
3. On a plate (to catch the delicious juices) peel and discard the skins of the peppers. Slice into around 4 lengthways. Remove and discard the stalks and anything that’s not green.
4. Lay the peppers with their juices on a fresh plate.
5. Sprinkle over some freshly ground some black pepper and the oregano. Crumble the feta into little pieces and scatter over. Finally, drizzle over the olive oil.
Why this is good for you Oregano, especially eaten fresh, is a powerhouse of volatile antioxidant rich oils. These oils help keep your skin young and firm, soothe your digestive system, and even help eliminate infections and protect you against life-threatening diseases. Oregano helps combat the yeast overgrowth that contributes to cystitis and sinusitis. Oregano is really easy to grow in Ireland in a pot (in a flowerbed it takes over!). If you use it often, it keeps sprouting new, tender leaves all through the summer. Green peppers, like all green veg, are rich in magnesium needed for stress management, great skin and being “regular”. Feta made from goat/sheep milk is lower in allergenic proteins than cows milk. For that reason, some people who cant take cows milk products find they can tolerate moderate amounts of goat/sheep milk products. Goat’s milk is closest in chemical composition to human milk.
This is a very quick and easy uncooked vegetable dish which I really like. With some protein like fish, meat, a frittata/omelette or a bean salad it provides a balanced meal. Unless you have tons of energy to pound away for ages with your hands, make this recipe using smallish sprigs of young kale (April-June) – it’s much easier to work. As you might have noticed I’ve got a bit of a green theme going on this month. The power of vegetables to lift your wellbeing is big in food research right now (see my May 2014 newsletter). In my opinion, eating lots of green stuff is one of the most useful things you can do to help your body and your mind.
For 2-3 people:
1 bag tender young organic kale
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½-1 ripe avocado
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbs sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds, chopped Brazil nuts or hazelnuts)
Lemon or lime juice to taste
1/2 tsp paprika, or to taste
1 tbs finely sliced or chopped spring onions or red onion (if you can eat cooked onions but not raw ones, try soaking the sliced/chopped onion in the lemon or lime juice for 15 minutes – it totally takes the heat out!)
Remove any stalks from the washed kale and place in a large bowl.
Kneed, pound and squish the kale with your hands for around 5 minutes until it is wilted (you might like to use rubber gloves for this as the juice can stain your nails).
Add the avocado and mix it into the mixture, mashing as you do so.
Add all the other ingredients and serve.
Serve with:
Baked or grilled, roast or poached fish or chicken, a frittata or omelette or a beany salad
Why this is good for you: Kale is high in folic acid which helps your body carry out the daily repair and maintenance on your stomach and intestines. Kale, like all dark green veg, is rich in magnesium which is needed to relax your mind and get a good nights sleep. Magnesium also helps keep your skin in good condition by supporting your liver to clear toxins out of the body. Things like psoriasis or acne are usually a sign of poor liver function. Avocados and raw olive oil are rich in vitamin E which moisturises your skin (and everything else) from within. the reason I suggest using organic kale is that like baby spinach, “conventional” kale is in the top 3 most agri-chemical contaminated fresh produce.
This is my absolute favourite juice of the moment. You need a masticating juicer like the Samson from www.juicers.ie for juicing leafy greens. If you can get organic produce (especially spinach) so much the better. Non-organic spinach is one of top 3 most agri-chemical contaminated produce so its best avoided unless organic.
For 1 approximately 250ml serving
1/2 cucumber, including skin
3cm peeled ginger root
2 celery sticks
3 kale leaves (optional)
Large handful baby spinach or green cabbage leaves (cabbage is great for healing your gut)
Juice 1/2 lime or 1 dsp fresh lemon juice
Optional (for sweetness): 1 small apple, skin and all
Optional (for sweetness): A few drops of stevia to taste (see my “larder & shopping” section on this blog) to sweeten
Why this recipe is good for you: Because its contains ginger, lemon/lime and lots of magnesium-rich chlorophyll (greens) this will turbo charge your liver and aid detoxification. The natural enzymes in the raw, fresh juice aid digestion and help reduce inflammation in your digestive system, joints and more. Green vegetable based juices are much more beneficial than fruit juices because they are lower in sugars. Massive amounts of sugars (even from natural sources like fruit) slow liver function and aren’t conducive to 100% health. Refined sugars are more problematic still. Did you know that your thymus glads production of T-cells to fight infection is significantly lowered every time you eat sugar. A peer-reviewed study showed this. No wonder so many people get sick after Christmas, Easter and other sugury feasts that go on for days!
It’s been a real weather roller-coaster lately, with lovely sunshine one minute, hailstones, cold and sleet the next. I really felt the need of a nice, warming goulash the other day and trotted out this old favourite. This recipe is super-easy as you don’t have to brown anything so it’s ideal if you are at home for the morning or the afternoon and it can bubble away as you go about your business. It tastes even better the next day so I always make enough to have leftovers.
For 4:
450g organic stewing beef or round steak, or venison if available – in 4 serving size pieces, or else diced, whichever you prefer – try to get something with some fat in – super-lean round steak goes very tough in slow cooking!
225g onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
1-2 rounded tsp paprika
1 teaspoon of (gluten-free) miso paste or 1 Kallo (gluten-free) beef stock cube, dissolved in 250ml boiling water
1 tin chopped tomatoes (about 400g)
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
½ glass red wine, if handy (avoid if on a candida diet)
3 carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 400g tins of white haricot beans, drained and rinsed (or 200g dried beans, soaked overnight and boiled hard for ½ hour)
1 heaped tsp herbes de Provence (usually a mix of rosemary, oregano, basil), mixed herbs or (at a pinch) dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
3 heaped tbs chopped parsley
To thicken (optional) 2 tsp ground rice or brown rice flour
1. If intending to cook this in the oven then preheat oven to 180C/GM4
2. Trim the meat of visible fat.
3. Line the base of a heavy bottomed deep sided ovenproof casserole dish or saucepan with the meat. The meat can be in flat pieces or bite-sized chunks, whichever you prefer.
4. Add the onions, garlic, paprika, stock or water, tomatoes, tomato puree, beans, wine if using, carrots, celery, pepper and herbs de Provence. If using home-cooked haricot beans, add them now.
5. If using a saucepan: bring to the boil, then simmer very gently with the lid on until the meat is tender – about 2 hours if using round/stewing beef.
If using the an ovenproof casserole: cover the casserole with the lid and cook in the oven until the meat is tender – about 2 hours. If using tinned haricot beans, add, mix in and warm through the tinned haricot beans now and warm through.
6. If you like you can thicken the stew juices by mixing in the ground rice or rice flour a few minutes before the end of cooking and whisking until thickened. I don’t usually bother.
7. Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top just before serving.
Serve with:
Steamed broccoli drizzled with a little fresh lemon juice.
Or
A large leaf salad of bitter leaves (rocket, spinach, watercress) dressed with extra virgin olive oil
Variation:
If you can eat dairy, top each portion with a dessertspoon of natural organic unsweetened yoghurt or Greek yoghurt (which is made from ewe’s milk) – it gives a lovely tang.
Why this is good for you White haricot beans are filling and also provide soluble fibre which helps feed friendly bacteria in your gut. This is important for skin and digestive health as well as mood. Beans are also rich in magnesium, which helps reduce stress, insomnia and irritability. Herbs and spices such as paprika and herbes de Provence have antioxidant anti-inflammatory properties – great if you have problem skin, an inflamed digestive system, or want to keep looking younger for longer. Note: Some people suffering from ME/chronic fatigue syndrome may benefit from more red meat in the diet than the general guideline of once or twice a week. This is because red meat contains a substance known acetyl carnitine. Poor energy production in ME can impair the production and utilisation of acetyl carnitine. For these people, eating extra lean and ideally organic red meat daily is of benefit. I know it certainly helped me, whereas a totally vegetarian diet definitely did not. For more information and a useful e-book on recovering from ME/chronic fatigue syndrome see the website of Dr Sarah Myhill, a brilliant GP specialising in this area www.drmyhill.co.uk
I like to keep weekday dinners really simple and sauces like this are my way of make even the simplest grilled fish and steamed vegetables gorgeous. This is a bright green and pink sauce that’s great for adding flavour to simple grilled, steamed or roast fish or chicken. You could also use it to liven up hardboiled eggs, or even stir it into some cooked butter beans, chickpeas or white haricots to create a filling salad. If you like pungent, slightly salty, earthy flavours you will love this. And of course the garlic and herbs are a vitality-booster.
Makes 1 jar (to serve 6)
Large bunch flat-leaf parsley
Small handful of basil leaves, if available
3 anchovies (the brown, salted kind if possible, instead of the vinegary white ones)
1 large clove garlic (or 2 small) peeled and crushed or finely chopped
1/2 tbs finely chopped shallot (or red onions)
Optional: 1 heaped tbs gluten-free wholegrain breadcrumbs (if you are not gluten intolerant use sourdough wholemeal breadcrumbs) – the crumbs thicken the sauce – personally I don’t care whether it’t thickened or not so I never bother.
1 tbsp capers (or 2 if you want) – squeeze out some of the vinegar before using or, better still, buy salted capers and simply rinse off the salt before using)
Extra virgin olive oil, as high quality as you can manage
Remove the thick stalks from the parsley and chop it and the basil as finely as you can manage. Place in a bowl.
Chop the anchovies and the capers finely and add to the bowl, along with the garlic, breadcrumbs, chopped shallot/red onion and capers. Add enough olive oil to almost cover everything and mix well.
If you have time, leave this for 20 minutes or more for the flavours to amalgamate before serving. Or serve a dollop on top of some simply-cooked chicken or fish straight away. This will keep in a small airtight jar in the fridge for several days but basil does discolour once chopped. So you might only want to chop enough basil for what you will use the same day.
Why this is good for you: Raw extra virgin olive oil is a fantastic source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is in fact not just one substance, but a collection of different compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols) that occur naturally in foods. You need vitamin E for beautiful smooth skin and for helping your body repair and maintain itself inside and out to stay younger longer. Its also crucial for a healthy libido! Garlic supports liver function for clearing both natural and man-made chemical toxins out of your body. Garlic thins your blood so can reduce high blood pressure naturally. It’s also a food that helps kill gut infections and also encourages the growth of good bacteria. Parsley helps support your immune system, your kidney and bladder function and also helps kill the smell of garlic on your breath. Its rich in vitamin C, which reactivates vitamin E in your body. Parsley also calms your digestive system and can reduce gas.
I created this as a keep-you-fuller-for-longer version of classic leek soup. I swapped the potatoes for white beans because potatoes are mostly just sugars whereas beans are full of nutrients and protein. This is a fantastic winter warmer and a meal in itself. If you feel like it, eat it with some wholemeal bread such as gluten-free or (if you can eat gluten) 100% rye sourdough or other wholemeal 100% sourdough bread.. Enjoy.
For 3:
600g leeks, including all the green part
800ml chicken stock (or use 1 Kallo chicken stock cube and water)
1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced
About 425g of cooked, drained no-added sugar white beans
(eg. white haricots, canellini or butter beans) – use a tin if you can’t soak and cook your own beans.
Black pepper
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil and extra for drizzling
2 tbs fresh or frozen chopped parsley if you have it
1. Wash and slice the leeks and place in a large saucepan with the garlic and 1 dtbs olive oil and 1 tbs of clean water or stock.
2. Sweat, covered, until leeks are wilted and soft.
3. Add the stock, beans and simmer for a few minutes to warm through.
4. You can eat this soup 3 ways: a) As it is, lots of things floating in broth b) blend half of it with the parsley and mix back in with unblended soup c) blend the whole thing for a totally smooth end product.
5. If you have blended the soup, add water if too thick, reaheat and serve with lots of freshly ground black pepper and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Variations:
Adding a squeeze of lemon juice when serving helps digestion by raising stomach acidity (often low in those over 50 or who suffer from bloating after eating).
Add a heaped teaspoon of dried tarragon when the soup is cooked. It has a lovely buttery flavour and as a herb helps reduce unhelpful bacteria in your gut.
Why this is good for you: Leeks, garlic beans are both a rich source of soluble fibre which encourages friendly bacteria (“probiotics”) to flourish in your gut. Probiotics help balance both male and female hormones, keep skin clear and healthy and promote a healthy, resilient digestive system. They are also critical for a strong immune system that sees off infection AND doesn’t overreact (as seen in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like hypothyroidism, arthritis, eczema and asthma).
Soluble fibre also binds (sticks to) toxins such mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic in your gut. If you have mercury fillings, eat tuna, non-organic rice or smoke, you can accumulate mercury, arsenic and cadmium in your body. All toxins need to be quickly eliminated from the body in the stools. Soluble fibre absorbs water, helping to bulk up stools in your colon, thus reducing the risk of constipation. Constipation allows reabsorption of toxins from your bowel which can lead to a variety of health effects such as poor skin, anxiety, headaches, hair loss, hormonal imbalance and weight gain. The protein in the beans and the extra virgin olive oil both help you feel fuller for longer after eating this hearty soup.
