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Recipe Blog

LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD

My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition,
so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.

Raisin Cranberry Sauce (Gluten Free, Vegan)

By , April 9, 2022

‘The sweet taste promotes happiness, contentment, calmness, cheerfulness, love and satisfaction in the mind’ – Mudita Institute

This is a recipe from Divya Alter’s, what to eat to how you feel. She calls it an Ayurvedic BBQ sauce, but I like to use it as a chutney. It is a sweet-sour combination and the cranberries are acidic, so it’s great for Vata and Kapha, but shouldn’t be eaten in excess by Pitta. The original recipe uses dried cranberries and all I could find where a sweet version, which worked well. It also had chilis which I took out, as I prefer sweet to heat but you can always add some red pepper seeds back at the end, which I did for Mr B. 

Ingredients

Chutney

  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • ¾ cup dried sweet cranberries
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 black cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp digestive masala
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • ¼ cup Thompson raisins
  • 1 tsp. lime juice

Digestive Masala

  • 2 tbsp. coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 2 tsps. Kalonji seeds
  • 1 tsp. ground turmeric

(Place in an electric grinder, grind to a fine powder)

Method

  • In a small saucepan combine 1.5 cups of water with the cumin, black pepper, cranberries, olive oil, cardamom, bay leaf, salt and masala. Bring to the boil and then down to a gentle simmer till for 10 minutes
  • Add both sets of raisins and cook for another 10-15 minutes till the cranberries are mushy and raisins are plump
  • Remove black cardamom pods and bay leaf
  • Allow to cool and blend until smooth, stir in the lime juice
  • Keep in an airtight glass jar

Brown Rice and Oat Bread (Gluten Free, Vegan)

By , April 2, 2022

‘Love doesn’t sit there like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; re-made every day, made new’.

This is a lovely base recipe from Amy Chaplin’s whole food cooking every day. It is naturally gluten free and made of great satiating ingredients. I adapted it slightly to adjust to the ingredients I had available and it came out perfectly. I also added everything bagel seasoning to the top as it gives it a nice salty bite. 

Mr B said he loved the bread, that it tasted buttery (from the olive oil), satisfying (from the core ingredients of brown rice, oats, seeds and psyllium) and cravable from the everything topping.

Bread making can be pretty arduous, unless you are one of those people who love the process and know how to adjust for the ambient temperature of your kitchen, but this is a soak, blend and bake recipe so super easy. It has the added bonus of being yeast free, so no rising time and no sugar needed to feed the yeast.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups brown rice, soaked overnight
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight
  • 1 cup oats (rolled or groats)
  • 1.5 tbsp. psyllium husk powder or 2 tbsp. psyllium husks
  • 1 tbsp. GF baking powder
  • 3 tbsp. EVOO
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp. everything bagel seasoning

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and line a bread pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang to help you remove the bread from the pan
  • Strain and rinse the rice and seeds and place in a food processor, add 1 cup water plus all of the ingredients apart from the seasoning
  • Blend until broken down and well combined, scrape the sides down to make sure there aren’t any missed pieces
  • Transfer the batter to the bread pan, sprinkle top with seasoning. 
  • Bake for 40 minutes in the middle of the oven, then rotate the pan and bake for another 40 minutes or until the bread is golden and the bread is pulling away from the sides of the pan
  • Use the parchment paper to remove the bread and put it on a wire rack to cool. Slice the next day and store in an airtight container.

*Instead of everything bagel seasoning consider pumpkin, sunflower, sesame or poppy seeds

Crispy sweet corn polenta (Gluten Free, Vegan)

By , March 26, 2022

‘If you plant corn, don’t be surprised to get corn’

This recipe comes from. ‘At home with the whole food kitchen’ by Amy Chaplin and Johnny Miller

I made this polenta and served it a few different ways. The first step is to cook the polenta in water. You can add salt and pepper and in Italy they like to add a decent amount of Parmesan or pecorino cheese. This gives you a grits type dish which Mr. B loves. The second preparation is to place this mixture into baking tray, let it cool and bake it. This gives you a firmer, crouton texture. I cut up little blocks and pan fried them for gluten free croutons and make squares with toppings for canapés.

‘As the joyful belly notes, corn contains a sizeable amount of potassium. A high potassium diet may just be ideal low sodium diet. As a diuretic, potassium actually reduces water retention and thus counteracts the action of the sodium in the body. Corn is thus a boon for those with high blood pressure, especially in the spring when water congestion reaches it’s peak’. 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ cup corn grits
  • ¾ cup sweet corn kernels 
  • ½ tsp. course pepper

Method

  • Oil a rimmed baking sheet and set aside
  • Add water and bay leaves, bring to the boil, cover po, reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Disregard the bay leaves. 
  • Add salt. Raise heat to high and slowly pour in the grits, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil
  • Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until the mixture sticks to the spoon. You will need to stir the mixture every minute or so to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • 5 minutes from the end of cooking, stir in the corn kernels. They will bring a lovely sweet pop to the end dish.  At the pepper at this point also. 
  • Once cooked, pour into the baking tray and spread evenly. Make it about ¼-1/2  inch thick if possible.
  • Leave to cool until there is no more steam coming off it
  • Once cooled place in the fridge for 45 minutes or until you are ready to bake it
  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush with oil and set aside.
  • Tip out the polenta and cut into small triangles. Place them on the baking tray, making sure they do not touch. Lightly brush with olive oil.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until crispy and golden.
  • Remove from the oven and served warm.

Topping suggestions:

  • A sprinkle of pecorino/parmesan/vegan cheese
  • Chucky salsa or guacamole
  • Garlic butter (miyokos garlic parm oat butter)

Zaatar Taro Baked Fries (Gluten Free, Vegan)

By , March 19, 2022

I should really call these disappearing fries as every time I make them and leave them on the counter, half of them are gone by the time I come back (mentioning no names, Mum and Mr. B)

They are delicious and taste similar to normal fries, although they seem to crisp up better.

I now use taro exclusively when cooking at home instead of white potatoes. As although it is starchy it contains two types of carbohydrates that are beneficial for your blood sugar level. Fibre and resistant starch. Taro has double the fibre of white potatoes. Since fibre is not absorbed it has no impact on blood sugar levels and can slow down digestion and absorption of other carbs preventing a blood sugar spike after a meal. 

‘Taro is highly valued in Ayurveda as a prebiotic food, with its slippery nature it binds to toxins seated in the colon and blood and drives them out of the body.’ Taro is Pitta and Vata pacifying and can aggravate Kapha in excess. 

Ingredients

  • 3-4 Large Taro
  • 1 tbsp. Zaatar seasoning
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt (more to add to taste at the end)
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 450F or turn your oven to convection (a dryer heat at 400F)
  • Wash, peel and cut the taro into wedges or pieces of a similar size
  • Pat dry with a paper towel
  • Place into a bowl and toss with the olive oil, then the seasonings
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  • Place the taro on the tray in a single layer
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges start to brown, turning once. 
  • These are flavorful on their own so don’t need a dipping sauce

Almond Flour Lemon Yogurt Cake (Gluten Free, High Protein)

By , March 12, 2022

‘Timeless and versatile, almonds are an organic shade that speak to authenticity and all that is natural’

I found this recipe in Goop, when looking for ‘alternative’ flour recipes. I love using almond flour, as it such a wonderful whole food ingredient and brings a natural sweetness to the recipe. Almonds are also full of magnesium, vitamin E, monosaturated fats and protein. They are grounding and nutritive. 

I substituted almond yogurt for the dairy element, it worked well and helps to keep the cake moist. I also served a slice with yogurt and some lemon curd to reinforce the dominant flavours. 

Given these ingredients are mainly almonds and eggs, I could serve this to Mr B for breakfast, which he was mighty pleased about.

Ingredients

Serving: 6

  • 2.5 cups lightly packed almond flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup almond yogurt 
  • ½ cup maple sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup of EVOO

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt
  • In another bowl whisk together the rest of the ingredients
  • Add the wet to the dry ingredients
  • Line an 8-inch cake tin with parchment paper and brush lightly with EVOO
  • Transfer the batter to the tin and use a spatula to spread it evenly
  • Place in the middle of your preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the cake is brown and a toothpick comes out clean
  • Let cool before eating

Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce (Gluten Free, Vegan)

By , March 6, 2022

‘Just say cheese’

When I turned to vegetarianism at the tender age of 13, one of the things I missed most was my mum’s roast lamb. She would make it at Christmas, Easter and on request for special occasions. One of the things that made up for giving this up was to get extra portions of her cauliflower cheese. 

Silky and luxurious was the sauce, that I later found out was made up of a roux turned into bechamel with cheddar to finish. Being British, only cheddar was used, not the 15-cheese pile up I tend to see over here in the states. 

Over the years, I ended up eating cutting out cow’s milk but still craved my childhood dish and my mum was kind enough to work out how to make dairy free versions to satiate my cravings. When she was in New York with me recently, I had the chance to cook for her and nervously served up this 5-minute cashew version. To my surprise and delight, she loved it. I served it in a pasta bake with veggies and gluten free brown rice pasta, so was even more surprised when she asked for a second portion. 

So, this recipe is dedicated to my mum. Thank you for nurturing me with your food and being open to trying mine. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cashew milk
  • 6 tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 3 tsp. yellow miso
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend. Taste and add salt and pepper or other seasonings as desired. 

Buckwheat Waffles/Keto Coconut Flour Waffles (Gluten Free, High Protein)

By , February 26, 2022

‘We have to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles and work, or waffles, friends and work. Either way work comes third’.

Lucky for me, making waffles is my work as a chef. It is also my obsession, having realised that you can have wholefood, healthy waffles for breakfast, whilst working at Divya’s Kitchen where they were made with lentils, rice and even had turmeric in them. I like waffles as they are adult and kid friendly, easy to make gluten free and great to freeze and just pop in the toaster when needed.

Below I give you two recipes, the coconut flour ones are paleo friendly and the buckwheat are gluten free. The buckwheat ones are the lightest waffles I have ever tasted and actually taste better after freezing and toasting. Mr. B loves the coconut flour ones as he loves the taste of coconut. I complement them with fruit and some shredded coconut to add to the experience. I like the buckwheat ones with blueberries and a little cardamom infused maple syrup.

Ingredients

Serving: 6

  • 3 tbsp. vegan butter/coconut oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp. monk fruit sweetener
  • 4 tbsp. coconut cream
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder

Method

  • Preheat the waffle iron
  • In a large bowl mix the butter, eggs, vanilla extract, monk fruit and coconut cream. Whisk until well combined
  • Add the coconut flour, baking powder and salt and stir well
  • Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes (to let the coconut flour absorb the liquid and thicken the batter)
  • Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the waffle iron
  • The waffle is ready when the steam has dissipated, and the waffle is golden brown. In my waffle iron, that takes, c.3 minutes

Buckwheat waffles

These are possibly the lightest and crispiest waffles I have ever tasted. They have a rich and nutty flavor from the buckwheat. I like using buckwheat as not only is it gluten free, but it has a high antioxidant and fiber content.

From an ayurvedic perspective buckwheat is dry and heating. It is nutritive, grounding and strengthening. Buckwheat is known to dry up mucus in the respiratory system, pacifying Kapha.

Ingredients

Serving: 6

  • 1 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1 tbsp. coconut sugar
  • 1.5 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. cardamom
  • 1 cup buttermilk (1/4 cup almond yogurt mixed with ¾ cup water)
  • 4 tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
  • 1 large egg/1 tbsp. flax meal with 3 tbsp water

Method

  • Preheat the waffle iron
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom
  • In a liquid measuring cup mix the yogurt and water together and then mix in the melted butter and egg
  • Pour the wet into the dry mixture and stir them together
  • Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes
  • Add 1/3 cup of batter to the waffle iron
  • The waffle is ready when the steam has dissipated, and the waffle is golden brown. In my waffle iron, that takes, c.3 minutes

Breakfast Oat Cookies (Gluten Free, High Protein, Vegan)

By , February 19, 2022

‘It’s much harder to be sad, when eating a cookie’

I love these cookies, as they take 5 minutes to make and 10 minutes to bake. They are great for kids, with the sweetness coming from the banana, protein from the nut/seed butter and great fibre from the oats. They are pretty much the equivalent of a bowl of porridge but in a much more appealing form. This means you can put them in a packed lunch, grab them on the way out or even use them as bribery with your kids. Mr. B is my tester for all things sweet and he found this ‘extremely satisfying’, so I am sure kids would too. LOL

Ingredients

  • 2 mashed bananas
  • ½ cup peanut butter/seed butter
  • 1 cup GF oats
  • ¼ cup vegan choc chips/raisins

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Mix all ingredients together
  • Scoop the cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking try, 10-16 depends on size preference
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until starting to brown. Flipping once.
  • Will firm more as they cool

Black Rice Porridge (Gluten Free, Vegan)

By , February 12, 2022

‘Man’s mind once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions’

I love it when a recipe expands and changes your perspective. Amy Chaplin’s Book, Whole Cooking Every Day is great for this, as she is taking your every-day items, like porridge and creating new varieties of them, keeping your chef mind and palate active. Every recipe is simple to execute on too, making it easy to integrate into your every day. I particularly like the combination of fennel, cardamom, raisins and orange zest, giving it a sweet fragrant taste. Mr B likes a simple porridge, so I make a more savoury preparation for him, topping it with a little cinnamon. 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup almonds, soaked overnight in 2 cups of water
  • 2 tsp. fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1 cup black rice, soaked overnight in 3 cups water
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 tbsp. orange zest

Method

  • Drain and rinse the almonds (I popped off the skin, but you don’t have to) and transfer them to an upright blender
  • Add the fennel seeds, the cardamom, water, salt and 4 cups of water. Blend until smooth.
  • Add the rice and pulse until it is coarsely ground 
  • Pour into a medium pot, bring to the boil and then down to a simmer
  • Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the porridge is cooked and nice and creamy. Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan
  • When ready, let rest for 5 minutes and then stir in the golden raisins and orange zest
  • Add berries or maple syrup for sweetness if desired and/or granola for texture

Snickerdoodles (Gluten Free, High Protein)

By , February 7, 2022

‘Home is where heart is. Heart is where cookie is. Math clear: Home is cookie’ – Cookie Monster

This recipe uses coconut flour, used predominantly by the paleo community for its high fibre, low carbohydrate quality. The flour has good fats and protein, is nutritive and satiating. 

Coconut flour absorbs more moisture than other flours, making the product denser and heavier. It has a nutty, sweet taste, which Mr B loves. If you don’t like the taste of coconut, then substitute in a little almond flour. 

Due to its high fibre content, including coconut flour in your diet promotes stable blood sugar, good digestion and heart health. It may also support a healthy body weight as part of a balanced diet.

Coconut is considered a divine plant in the Vedic traditions. It is used in sacred ceremonies. It is considered a stress buster, good for the digestive and metabolic systems.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp. flaky sea salt
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon powder

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Stir together the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and stir till well combined
  • Add the egg and mix thoroughly
  • Add the salt, coconut flour and baking powder. Mix well.
  • Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl
  • Roll the dough into 10-12 small balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar
  • Place on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 12 minutes
  • Let cool to room temperature, this will firm them up