Tonight, we ate these gorgeous chicken pieces. Instead of the roast Mediterranean veg in the recipe, we piled them onto a bed of baby spinach leaves alongside green beans dressed with lemon juice, black pepper, and a little Himalayan salt. If you don’t want to lose any weight, you could add some potatoes. This way of roasting chicken pieces is a real crowd-pleaser.
The paste keeps for a couple of weeks in an airtight jar in the fridge. The chicken is even better if you let it sit in the paste for a while or overnight in the fridge. It’s still great if you slather it on just before cooking. Using a miniature food processor gives a really creamy texture to the paste and saves lots of effort.
For 2
2 whole chicken legs, small breasts on the bone, or fillets, ideally organic.
2 whole red or yellow peppers, washed but not cut open
2 large fat courgettes
A few small/medium sized sweet potatoes or normal potatoes in their jackets (optional – omit if this is your evening meal and you want to lose weight or if you are following a ketogenic eating plan)
2 red onions (optional)
Garlic-spice paste:
12 large cloves garlic, peeled
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 level tsp ground cinnamon
¾ teasp ground allspice
¼ teasp freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch of cayenne pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gm 6
2. Blitz all the spice paste ingredients together in a small food processor. Otherwise crush the garlic and mix well with the other ingredients – the sauce will not cling so well but is still fine.
3. Slather enough of the paste on the chicken to coat well and place in a large roasting dish (you will have a fair bit left over to drizzle over baked sweet potatoes, to use another time to grill some white fish, or to serve as a spicy accompaniment )
4. Prepare whatever vegetables you are using: Wash the peppers (do not cut anything out as, cooked whole, the pepper will fill up with delicious sweet juices while cooking); wash the courgettes and cut into 7cm lengths;
Scrub the potatoes if using. Peel and halve the red onions if using and brush with a little olive oil
Spread out the veg in a single layer with the chicken in the roasting dish.
5. Bake for 50 mins in the oven or until the chicken juices run clear when the meat is pierced with the point of a knife. Chicken fillets may cook faster if they are small so check these after 30 mins (remove from the oven if done while the rest of the veg finish cooking).
Cook’s Tip for Kids Eating:
Many children dislike seeing seeds so try halving the peppers, removing the seeds and in each pepper place a tomato half and a teaspoon of olive oil before putting in the oven. This helps the pepper avoid drying out.
Dietary note: Garlic and spices in your diet are a fantastic health booster – for liver and skin health, immunity and delaying the effects of ageing. If you cannot source organic chicken then its best to avoid fattiest part of the bird (legs, thighs, skin) and eat only the breast. Battery chickens are routinely dusted with pesticides which congregate in the fatty tissues of the bird.
I found this recipe in a magazine once. No idea who it’s by but it’s lovely and is our favourite method of roasting a chicken. On Monday evening we cooked this and ate it lukewarm with a mixed salad in the garden. Normally we eat it with lots of steamed green or runner beans, or cabbage and maybe a small baked sweet potato or some steamed mashed carrots. If you are on a ketogenic eating plan, omit the root vegetables. I keep all the bones in a dish in the fridge for up to 4 days (or in the freezer) to make stock.
For 4, or 2 with lots leftover:
1 organic chicken
2-4 garlic cloves
Olive oil
A pinch of Himalayan or Atlantic Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh tarragon OR 1 dsp dried tarragon or 1 heaped dsp finely chopped fresh rosemary OR 1 large handful of washed thyme sprigs
1 lemon, halved
A heavy-bottomed ovenproof casserole (or pyrex) dish with a lid
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Discard any giblets inside the chicken.
2. Peel and cut the garlic cloves in half lengthways. Use a sharp-pointed knife to make 8 deep slits in the fleshiest parts of the chicken – thighs, breasts – and push the garlic halves well down into these. If you can’t face slitting and pushing garlic into the slits, just throw unpeeled garlic around the bird to eat hot when the whole thing is cooked.
3. Put 1 lemon half inside the bird, smear the upper part of the chicken with olive oil, and put into an ovenproof casserole dish with a lid. Add the second lemon half to the pot. Season with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the tarragon or rosemary, or scatter the thyme over and around the bird. The reason I don’t destalk and chop the thyme is that it’s a pain and the leaves fall off during cooking anyway so why bother? If you are a real garlic fan, as I am, you can scatter any spare unpeeled cloves of garlic into the casserole dish now – they will be delicious squeezed hot from their skins to go with the cooked chicken.
4. Cover with a lid, cook 30-40 mins, then reduce heat to 150C and cook for a further hour.
5. Test by sticking a knife into the thigh. If the juices run clear the bird is cooked.
6. Allow the bird to rest on a warm plate for 20 minutes or so after taking it out of the oven. This makes the meat easier to cut, and moister than if you carve straight away. Cook your vegetables or prep your salad while the meat is resting. If this is your evening meal and you are on a ketogenic eating plan or want to lose weight, omit the root vegetables (carrots, potatoes etc.).
7. If you serve this hot, spoon over the herby, lemony juices.
This is inspired by a very simple treatment of a steak that I once ate in sunny Amalfi. It was so fresh and zingy I loved it and tried to recreate the taste when I got home. We also use the gorgeous herb-and-garlic topping for a venison steak or a piece of lean sirloin, simply done on a barely-oiled pan. The herbs you use in addition to the parsley depend on what’s convenient for you to buy or pick from your garden.
For 2:
2 tuna steaks, about 120g each (about the size of your palm)
1 small handful of parsley (flat-leaf is nice if you can get it)
A sprig (about 8-10cm long) of rosemary, 3-4 sprigs of thyme, or a handful of oregano sprigs (or all 3 if you are lucky enough to grow your own herbs and have a plentiful supply)
2-3 cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of Himalayan or Atlantic Sea Salt
To serve: a large mixed salad, with dressing, or 350g steamed French or runner beans
First of all, wash and dry your herbs and destalk them. you will want, in total about 3 tablespoons of chopped herbs. Then chop as finely as you can manage. The finer the herbs, the less chewy the topping will be. Peel and chop the garlic cloves as finely as you can manage. Add the chopped herbs and garlic to a bowl, season with a few good grinds of black pepper, a pinch of salt, and enough extra virgin olive oil to wet the whole thing so it sticks together a bit. Mix and set aside.
Prepare your salad or put your beans on to steam before cooking the tuna steaks.
Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan or griddle pan. Oil it lightly using some macadamia or olive oil, just enough to get a non-stick film on the pan but not enough to see an oil slick.
On medium heat, cook the steaks for around 4-5 minutes on each side (it depends on the thickness of the steak). It’s ok to leave fresh tuna a little pink in the middle and it’s moister and more delicious that way.
Once the steaks are done, slide onto warm plates and pile the garlic-herb mix on top of each one.
Serve with the salad or steamed French or runner beans.
Dietary note: Fresh (not tinned) tuna is a great source of omega 3 oils. Garlic and herbs contain potent antioxidants which also enhance many functions in the body, from dampening down inflammation and allergies to boosting liver function. Regularly eating fresh herbs, garlic and oily fish has positive effects on mood, skin health, and digestive wellness. The raw extra virgin olive oil used here is a source of vitamin E which is also anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing. People adding olive oil, raw nuts, and raw seeds to their diet lose weight, according to scientific research.
We love this warming, comforting curry when the weather is grey and cold and guests always seem to love it. My husband adapted it from a recipe by Nigella to have a thicker sauce, more greens, and less starchy carbs that lead to weight gain. If you don’t like any trace of hot spices, this dish is not for you – if you like only moderate heat use just 1 tbsp Amoy or Sharwood’s curry pastes instead of the genuine (and hotter) Thai brands from Asian shops. The more unusual ingredients are all available from good supermarkets, delis, or inexpensively from Asian shops. Leftovers are safe to eat the next day if stored in the bottom (coldest shelf) of the fridge and properly reheated.
For 2:
250g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into large bite-sized cubes
165ml tin coconut milk
165 ml fish stock, water leftover after steaming veg, or just plain water
1-2 rounded tablespoons yellow (or red) Thai curry paste
3 tbsp Asian fish sauce
3 fresh lemongrass stalks, each cut into 3 and bashed with a pestle or bruised with the back of a knife
3 lime leaves (frozen or dried), cut into narrow strips if you can be bothered
1 level teaspoon ground turmeric
Handful of fresh coriander, rinsed and roughly chopped (stalks and all is fine)
300g salmon darnes, ideally wild or organic, skinned and cut into bite-size cubes of about 2-2.5cm
A handful of shelled king prawn tails (optional)
350g (2 very large handfuls) of one of the following:
pak choi cut into 2” lengths
streamed-but-still-crisp broccoli florets or green beans
Juice of ½ -1 lime, to taste
Brown basmati rice to serve (see below for cooking instructions)
1. Pour the 165 ml tin of coconut milk, 165 ml of fish stock or water, and 1-2 tbsp of the curry paste into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk well with a fork to amalgamate, and add the fish sauce, lemongrass, lime leaves, and turmeric. Stir and bring to a boil, then add the butternut squash/pumpkin pieces. Cook on a fast simmer until the pumpkin is tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes, although different sorts of pumpkins can vary enormously in the amount of time they take to cook; some squash can take as little as 5 minutes.
2. To the robustly simmering pan, add the pak choi if using, tamping down with a spoon. Cover and cook until slightly wilted. Then add the salmon and, if using, the prawns. If you are using pre-steamed broccoli or green beans instead of pak choi, add these now. When the salmon is cooked and the pak choi (if using) is wilted, squeeze in the juice of ½ the lime, adding the juice of the remaining half if you feel it needs it.
Serve with:
1/2 mug of brown basmati rice (for 2 people), boiled in a covered saucepan with 1 mug of boiling water and ½ level teaspoon ground turmeric. Do not stir rice when it is cooking. When it’s done you should see that the rice has swelled up, absorbed all the water, and has little steam holes visible in its surface. It should stay warm in a covered saucepan for 10-15 minutes after cooking and fluff up nicely.
Variations:
Make this with 150g raw shelled prawns (frozen is fine, provided the prawns are separated from each other) and 150g salmon instead of all salmon.
Dietary note: Coconut milk is a rich source of medium chain triglycerides which are a great source of energy for those battling fatigue or illness. Medium chain triglycerides are used to make energy directly, rather than being stored as fat. For this reason, coconut milk is a useful inclusion in any healthy diet. It is also a rich source of lauric and caprylic acids, which help clear pathogenic bacteria and yeast overgrowth from the body. Pak choi and broccoli are dark green leafy vegetables and so are rich in folic acid. Irish diets are low in folic acid which is needed for the repair and maintenance of your digestive system and for developing and maintaining brain health. Salmon is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory and also important for the health of the digestive system, skin, brain, and more. The galangal, chili, turmeric, and other spices in curry pastes also have powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing actions.
I love this beany salad which I have adapted from a recipe by Tamasin Day-Lewis. We eat it lukewarm or at room temperature as the fancy takes us. It’s also lovely made with butter beans. The tomatoes are optional, some people prefer the dish without. Boiling the beans with herbs and vegetables give the most amazing flavour to the finished dish. But if you can’t be bothered, its still worth making – just omit the onion, celery, rosemary and extra sprig of sage.
As a main meal you could serve this with a large leafy salad (or lightly steamed broccoli florets drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil) and maybe some quinoa (nice with basil pesto and a crushed clove of garlic stirred in while its still hot).
Feeds 4 as an accompaniment, 2 as a main course:
225g dried cannelini beans, soaked in filtered water overnight (or soak in boiling water for 1 hour)
Optinonal: 1 sprig rosemary (about the length of your hand), destalked, chopped fine
2-3 large sprigs sage (around the length of your hand also)
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
2 celery stalks
3 large garlic cloves
5 tbsp virgin olive oil
3 fresh or tinned tomatoes, chopped (if you are a perfectionist you can skin them and remove the seeds too – I never bother)
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of Himalayan salt or Atlantic sea salt, not “table salt”
1. Cook the beans in plenty of water with a sprig each of rosemary and sage, the onion, celery and 1 clove of garlic until just about tender. Reserving the cooking water, drain the beans and discard everything else.
2. Into a large heavy bottomed saucepan or frying pan on a gentle heat put your 1-2 remaining sprigs of sage, the 2 cloves of garlic and bash them about with a wooden spoon for a minute so they get a bit squashed.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cover with a lid (or a large plate) and cook a couple of minutes until the garlic has started to sizzle.
4. Add tomatoes, beans and a further 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn everything in the oil, then pour over enough of the bean stock to cover the base of the pan. Cook until most (but not all) of the liquid has evaporated.
Why this is good for you: Extra virgin olive oil, especially raw, is a great source of vitamin E which is great for moisturising your whole body, controlling allergies and is anti-inflammatory. Beans are a great high protein alternative to meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. They contain magnesium which has a calming effect, as well as helping keep the skin clear by enhancing liver function. Herbs like sage and rosemary are antioxidant, anti-ageing and naturally anti-inflammatory. They also encourage growth of friendly gut micro-organisms.
Table salt is an industrial product which contains added aluminium (dessicant) to stop it absorbing moisture. This is toxic. Himalayan salt is the cleanest salt and contains trace minerals. Its “clean” because it came from ancient seas where plastics and other man made contaminants were not present.
This is the simplest thing in the world to make and is greatly piled on top of a mixed, dressed, leafy salad. If you are in a hurry, serve with a handful of rockets, another cherry tomato, and a drizzle of virgin oil-based dressing. We often make up a big bowl of this at a weekend and take the leftovers to work. If you are an extra hungry person, you could add extra carbs in the form of a baked sweet potato, gluten-free wholemeal bread, or (if you eat gluten) brown pitta or 100% rye bread.
To serve 3-4:
2 cans or (even better) mugs of home-cooked chickpeas, drained
2 DSP extra virgin olive oil
1 rounded DSP sundried tomato pesto
1 DSP lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint, oregano, or parsley or 1 DSP chopped rosemary leaves
Half a red onion, finely chopped (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
In a bowl, mix the oil, pesto, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, salt, and a good grind of black pepper together.
Add chickpeas (and onion if using) and mix well. If you have time, let it sit for half an hour or so to let the flavours amalgamate.
Dietary note: Fresh herbs and raw virgin olive oil are fantastic sources of antioxidants to keep us healthy. Fresh herbs are powerfully anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, and help soothe an inflamed digestive system. Home-cooked is best when it comes to pulses but there’s still a lot to recommend tinned chickpeas. Pulses are rich in soluble fibre that feeds good gut bacteria for digestive wellness, hormone balance, and good skin. They also contain magnesium, one of Nature’s most soothing minerals, which we need to eat every day. Pulses like chickpeas are also a source of high-quality protein.
This is my even more delicious gluten-free version of the classic Middle Eastern salad which is normally based on bulgar wheat. This is great with grilled or roast meat or fish, or a chickpea/bean salad. You can make it in advance for a barbecue or buffet. Don’t skimp on the fresh parsley or lemon juice.
For 2 people, with leftovers:
½ mug/1 cup millet grains (not flakes), available in wholefood stores
3 tbsp finely sliced red onion (or spring onion, if you can’t get red)
4 tomatoes, finely chopped
½ cucumber, skin and all, chopped into about ½cm cubes
6 rounded tbsp parsley (flat-leaf is nice), finely chopped
3 tbs finely chopped fresh mint or 3 dsp dried mint
Juice of 2-3 lemons (or more, to taste)
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt or Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste
Boil the kettle. Add the millet to a saucepan with double its quantity (2 cups) of boiling water, cover with a lid, and simmer without stirring until all the water is absorbed and the grains are fluffy. Rough up with a fork and allow to cool.
When the millet is no more than lukewarm, put it and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently to combine, taking care not to mash the millet. If you have time, let it stand for at least half an hour to let the flavors amalgamate.
Why this is good for you: I use millet here because it is naturally gluten-free, tastes great, and is packed with the relaxing nutrient magnesium. Wheat contains high levels of phytates that impede mineral absorption in the gut. People who eat wheat at several meals a day often end up short of essential minerals such as zinc and iron even if they eat them in the diet. Also (and this is a shocker from recent research) gluten in wheat damages your gut for several hours after exposure – you don’t have to be gluten-sensitive for this to happen! Parsley is rich in iron and aids detoxification, good news if you care about your skin or your energy levels. Lemon juice aids the stomach in the digestive process while mint is anti-spasmodic, helping relieve gas or cramps in the gut. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in vitamin E and research shows that including it in your daily diet increases your healthy lifespan. Tomatoes are a fantastic source of lycopene and act as a natural UV filter, helping reduce skin burning and ageing.
We ate this last weekend after arriving back from a few days away, desperate to get away from bland food. This is a beautiful, aromatic cook-in sauce for vegetables, white fish or lean meat. People always ask for the recipe when I serve it up. It is equally nice with fish, chickpeas, or chicken. You could also use it to reheat leftover cooked lamb or beef or as a cook-in sauce for peeled prawns. It stores well in the freezer so you could make a large batch, freeze in individual portions, and thaw as needed. this amount of sauce is enough for 4 people, or 2 with leftover sauce to put in the freezer.
3 medium onions
3cm piece fresh ginger
2 large fat cloves garlic (optional)
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil (or olive oil if you can’t get coconut)
1 rounded tsp ground coriander
1 level tsp ground cardamom
1/2 level tsp ground cloves
1 level tsp ground cinnamon
1 rounded tsp turmeric
1/3–½ level tsp chilli powder (optional – avoid if you don’t like heat!)
1 x 65ml tin coconut milk (or 60g creamed coconut + 300ml/1¼ cups boiling water)
300ml/1¼ cups passata (sieved tomatoes) or 1 tin tomatoes, liquidized
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Pepper
A food processor/liquidiser
1. Finely dice the onion, grate the ginger and crush the garlic. Place in a saucepan with the coconut oil or olive oil and 1 tbsp water and sweat them with the lid on over a low heat until the onion begins to soften/go translucent.
2. Add the spices and sweat for a few more minutes.
3. If using creamed coconut, dissolve it in the boiling water and place it in a food processor. If using coconut milk place in the processor with around 200ml water. Add two-thirds of the onion mixture and process until smooth.
4. Put the processed mixture back into the pan and add the passata and fresh coriander. Simmer for 5 mins, then season to taste with pepper.
5. Freeze in containers ready for future use or use for cooking any of the ideas below.
6. Serve with brown rice.
Cook-in ideas (just heat sauce in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent burning, add your ingredients to be cooked, then cover with a lid):
Fish & veg: Allow 100-120g white fish (skinned and cut into 2.5cm cubes) and 2 cups of broccoli florets or thawed/fresh peas per person. If using broccoli, cook it in the sauce until almost done, then add the fish, which only takes a few minutes. If using peas, you can add the fish and peas at the same time.
Chicken & veg: Allow 100g chicken fillet (cut in 1cm slices or 2cm cubes) plus 2 cups sliced runner beans or broccoli florets per person. Heat the sauce, add everything else, cover with a lid and cook till done, stirring occasionally (around 10 minutes).
Chickpeas & veg: Allow 1 cup of cooked drained chickpeas plus 2 cups green veg (eg. broccoli florets or green beans) per person. Throw the whole lot into the simmering sauce, cover with a lid and cook for around 8 minutes until the vegetables are softened but not overcooked.
Why this is good for you: Research shows that all spices have anti-aging, antioxidant, health-boosting properties. Onions and garlic are great sources of soluble fibre, which feeds the helpful gut bacteria needed for proper digestion, mental clarity, and clear skin. Soluble fibre also binds to natural and man-made toxins (such as chemicals, used-up hormones, and medications) in your digestive system, ensuring that they exit the body quickly and as safely as possible.
Everyone loves these. Eat as a starter with wholemeal gluten-free bread or (if you eat a little gluten) fresh 100% rye sourdough bread to soak up the sweet juices. Last week we served them as a side with marinaded roast chicken pieces on a bed of cooked millet (with basil pesto and sliced spring onions stirred in). Yum!
I’m not usually an anchovy lover but here they really do make it much more delicious!
For 4:
4 red peppers
4 medium tomatoes
8 small anchovy fillets
2 cloves garlic
8 dsp (dessertspoons) extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
Fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 180C
Cut peppers in half lengthways, remove seeds, keep green stalks intact, and lay in a lightly oiled roasting tin or ovenproof dish.
Peel garlic, slice thinly and divide between the pepper halves.
To each pepper, half add an anchovy that you snipped into rough pieces.
Quarter tomatoes, remove the woody centre, and place 2 pieces in each pepper hal
Spoon 1 dsp oil into each pepper half and season with freshly milled black pepper.
Place on a high shelf in the oven for 50 mins to 1 hour – they should be wrinkled and semi-collapsed and filled with lots of lovely sweet garlicky pepper juices.
