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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.

Broccoli and asparagus soup (DF, V)

By , April 29, 2024

‘The deepest roots, never doubt spring will come’.

Spring has so many connotations. It is a time when the earth and our bodies wake up from the long winter dream. It is a time when everything comes back to life. This season in Ayurveda is associated with Kapha and heaviness. It is common for our bodies to struggle with transitioning from one season to another and for us to feel blocked and lethargic in the process. It is common to see seasonal allergies and colds rear their heads as the body awakes.

It is therefore helpful to be kind to our bodies. One way to do this is to eat nourishing, detoxifying, light foods. We often cook soups in the spring for that reason, although western cultures tend to associate this with winter.

This soup is full of tasty goodness. Broccoli, asparagus, and fennel are a great combination with none of the vegetables dominating the taste. If you are not vegetarian, you can consider using chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. If you are vegan, use EVOO instead of ghee.

If you’d like to make it creamier add taro (my preference from an ayurvedic standpoint) or potato. You could also add cashew, almond cream.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. ghee or EVOO
  • 1 fennel bulb (bottom, stem removed, small dice)
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed.
  • 1-inch of ginger, grated
  • 1lb broccoli (rough chop)
  • 1lb asparagus (hard ends removed, rough chop)
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
  • ½ tsp. salt

Method

  • Heat a medium pot on a low heat and add the ghee.
  • When melted, add the garlic, ginger, fennel and a pinch of salt and cook on a low heat till the fennel starts to soften
  • Add the broccoli and asparagus and mix till coated in the olive oil, garlic mixture.
  • Add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, the veggies will be soft. Remove from the heat.
  • Once cooled a little blend with an immersion blender.
  • Serve with herbs of your liking, black pepper/chilli flakes, a drizzle of olive oil and or some young feta or goat’s cheese.

Pistachio Pecan Cookies (DF, V)

By , April 6, 2024

‘When she smiled, the lines in her face became epic narratives that traced the stories of generations that no book could replace’.

It’s my grandmothers 100th birthday today. She passed 7 years ago, but it feels like yesterday. She taught me how to love unconditionally, to open your arms kitchen and home and to laugh every day, especially at yourself. I’ll never stop learning from her, no matter how long she is physically gone.

She loved pistachios and so when I saw this recipe so close to her birthday, I knew that it was the inspiration I needed to make something just for her.

The original recipe that these cookies were adapted from my friend Kate Ray, she has an amazing food blog, which had innovative recipes and amazing foodie interviews. Please check her out. (https://kateray.substack.com)

Ingredients

  • 125g pistachios
  • 50g pecans
  • 28g (2 tbsp) coconut oil, melted.
  • 100g refined almond flour.
  • 140g brown sugar.
  • 75g gluten free flour (Bob’s red mill)
  • ¼ cup non-dairy milk
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Toast the nuts for around 5 minutes, if you start to smell them you have gone too far, and the oils have started to come out.
  • Let them cool and add to a food processor. Pulse until starting to break up.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and process until they form an even dough.
  • Divide into 12 balls, place on a baking tray and place in the fridge to firm for 10-15 minutes.
  • Once the dough is firm, press them down with a fork in a crisscross pattern.
  • Sprinkle some flaky salt on top, this is a great contrast to the sweetness of the cookie. I had some smoked salt, which I used.
  • Bake for 15 minutes and let cool on the tray, they will firm up more as they cool.

Scallion Pie Empanada (DF, V)

By , March 28, 2024

Yield: 8-10

‘The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you are hungry again’.

Easter isn’t Easter in Puglia without Scallion Pie. The traditional pie is unleavened, with a dough made of white wine and olive oil, like Taralli. I made the traditional version during quarantine, and you can see the video on You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVXT5WvAVBk

This version is easier as you use premade puff pastry. It makes for a lovely flaky crust. It is like an empanada or as my father-in-law noted a panzerotti. If you swap in mozzarella and tomato passata instead of the scallion mixture, that is what you will make.

I made them for my father-in-law, and I have never seen him eat anything so quickly, so I guess that means ‘bravo’. Little nibbled on the panzerotti version but doesn’t like puff pastry, so Mr. B got his plate full.

Ingredients

  • 4 bunches of scallions
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chopped black olives.
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted.
  • 1 egg plus 1 tsp. water, whisked.

Method

  • Prepare the scallions by cleaning them, washing them, and cutting into 1.5-inch pieces.
  • In a large pot add 3 tbsp. EVOO, add the scallions, salt, olives, and wine and cook for 10-15 minutes until wilted.
  • Place in a bowl and leave to cool.
  • With a little flour, roll out the puff pastry to c. 5mm.
  • Use a cookie cutter to make as many rounds as possible.
  • Add a tbsp. of the cooled scallion mixture to the middle, fold over and use a fork to press down the edges. Use the fork to make some holes.
  • Brush the pastry with the egg mixture
  • Prepare all the pastries.
  • Gather the extra pastry, knead, roll it out and make a few more.
  • Place in the fridge to firm if you have time.
  • When ready to bake, place in a preheated oven at 425F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Double Protein Chocolate Brownie Cake (GF, DF)

By , March 21, 2024

‘No matter where you go, there you are’ Confucius.

We all have challenges. We all go through difficult times. We all deal with constantly changing and sometimes confusing emotions and we all struggle to treat ourselves kindly now and then. This makes us human.

What has this got to do with chocolate cake. Everything and nothing at all.

My theory in food is that you don’t have to give up everything you love to be healthy. You just need to learn a different way of having what you love. A different way of ‘treating’ yourself. This brownie cake that I adapted from ‘I quit sugar’ is a beautiful example of that.

There isn’t a single ingredient that would be deemed ‘unhealthy’ or would lead to a Glycaemic Index spike. In fact, most of the ingredients, have a vitamin or mineral benefit that is good for your health.

Rice malt syrup is probably a new ingredient to all of you. IQS uses it almost exclusively as it is a blend of complex carbohydrates and so a slower releasing sweetener versus pure glucose. Even then there isn’t much added.

Feel free to add vanilla extract, orange zest or a sprinkle of nuts.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil
  • 200g almond meal
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • ½ cup sunflower butter
  • ¼ cup rice malt syrup
  • ¼ cup raw cacao

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Line a 20x20cm tine with baking parchment.
  • Melt half the chocolate in a bowl.
  • Chop the remaining half into chunks.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, rice malt syrup, melted chocolate and sunflower butter (you can use almond or peanut if preferred).
  • Beat the eggs and whisk them in.
  • Fold in almond meal, cacao, baking powder, sea salt and the remaining chocolate chunks.
  • Press the mixture into the lined tin.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let cool and cut into small squares.

Tiella Barese (Italian Rice and Potatoes)(GF)

By , March 17, 2024

‘Every bite takes you home’.

My best friend asked my now husband how excited he was to be marrying a chef. His answer was that he believed food was fuel and nothing much else. She questioned if I was marrying the right man. Ten years later, he drops recipes on my desk from the guardian, no less, and is more of a food critic than I am.   

I guess even if you don’t think you are a foodie, food can be your connection to so many things long forgotten. A memory from your childhood, from a holiday, a date, or from your own learning of success and failure. For me it is all of those and for my husband I guess it is one or two also.

This recipe is from his hometown in Puglia, Bari. It normally has mussels in it, but he requested it to be without. So, we ended up with a lovely vegetarian dish.

Ingredients

  • 500g potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm rounds.
  • 2 large shallots, small dice
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved.
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • EVOO
  • 100g pecorino
  • A handful of minced parsley
  • 150ml of vegetable stock
  • 200g carnaroli rice

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 425F.
  • Soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes.
  • In a bowl mix the tomatoes, garlic, salt and two tablespoons of olive oil.
  • In another, mix the cheese and parsley.
  • Drain and dry the potatoes and rinse the rice till the water turns clear.
  • Select a deep ovenproof dish.
  • Start by scattering a quarter of the tomato, onion mix on the base of the dish. Next use half the potatoes to make a spiral layer, then zigzag with olive oil. Follow with another quarter of the tomato mix, a third of the cheese and another zigzag of oil. Sprinkle over the rice then top with another quarter of the tomato mix and then the cheese mix, then zigzag again with olive oil. Pour the stock across the dish. Make a final layer of potatoes, fish with the remaining tomatoes and cheese and a final zigzag of oil.
  • Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil and another 15 uncovered so the top browns a little
  • Leave it to rest for 20 minutes. The rice will continue to cook and soak up the liquid in this time.

French Lentil Salad (DF, GF)

By , March 4, 2024

‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes’ Marcel Proust

This quote is dedicated to all those who watched the Netflix series ‘you are what you eat: a twin experiment’. The series documents the results of identical genetic twins as they change their diet and lifestyle over a period of just 8 weeks. The series reflects how a plant-based diet when compared to an omnivorous diet can change your gut health, health statistics like LDL cholesterol and even lengthen your telomere’s (an indicator of longevity).

It provoked a lot of new subscribers and questions about adding more plant-based meals. I am here to help, please feel free to contact me and let me know how I can support you.

I had a version of this French lentil salad in the French countryside at my friends pre-wedding event at his family’s house. It was so delicious; it was addictive.

The great thing about this simple recipe is that you can use different vegetables, so it is great for reducing food waste and you can dial up and down the dressing strength for littles and not so littles alike.

French lentils are a great lentil to use in salads as they are a little tough, so stand up texturally. Due to this feature, they need a little more cooking than some lentils, around 40 minutes or so, versus beluga for example that take 20.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup French/green lentils
  • ¼ cup EVOO (*Ellouze 1870)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed.
  • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup diced cucumber.
  • 1 cup diced carrots.
  • 1 cup diced celery.
  • ½ cup chopped nuts of choice
  • 1 cup chopped fresh herbs (optional)

Method

  • Cook lentils according to package instructions. E.g. rinse and cook for 40 minutes with a bay leaf or until the lentils are tooth tender.
  • Mix the EVOO, lemon juice, garlic, maple, syrup, mustard, and seasoning. Whisk together and pour over the lentils whilst warm.
  • Once cooled, add the rest of the ingredients and toss
  • Taste and add seasoning to taste.

*Ellouze 1870. Since the olive oil is a larger feature in this recipe, I used Ellouze 1870, available online in the UK. It is a premium olive oil crafted through a meticulous process, using organic farming methods with no use of chemicals or fertilizers. This company was founded by some dear friends and has been in the family for generations.

www.ellouze1870.com

Carrot cheesy balls (GF)

By , February 26, 2024

‘Do one thing every day that scares you’ – Eleanor Roosevelt

Little has started his fussy phase with veggies. Don’t get me wrong, he eats a lot of veggies, yesterday I put broccoli, salad, corn, and pizza on the table, and he ate it in that order. But there are days where he just doesn’t want to eat a vegetable that he recognises. This is when these recipes come in handy.

I am inspired a lot by Instagram recipes for this, as it seems to be the plight of many a parent and there are some great nutritious recipes to try. This one comes from @feeding tiny bellies.

I asked my mum to make these as she is staying with me. She doesn’t like trying new recipes as she likes the outcome to be practiced and perfect, but she does it anyway. I really appreciate that she puts herself out there when she is uncomfortable. She doesn’t have the confidence but her food tastes amazing and whatever she puts her hand to comes out perfectly.

Thanks, Granny, for loving us enough to try.

Yield: 24 meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 cup finely grated carrots.
  • 1/4 cup GF breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup grated cheese.
  • 1 egg, whisked.
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. onion powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Add all the ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Mix until well combined.
  • Scoop out tbsp. sized portions.
  • Place on a parchment lined baking tray.
  • Brush with oil
  • Bake for 15 mins or until the edges start to turn brown.

Homemade Goldfish (GF)

By , February 14, 2024

‘There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between the mother and her son’.

This recipe is a valentine gift to my little one. He loves Goldfish, I think it is the crunch, the salt and shape. It is the one thing that he doesn’t tire of. I am lucky that he still likes real fish and so I don’t feel too bad giving in to his passion.

These goldfish are only made of a few ingredients. You can make them GF or not. I made lots of other shapes too, like elephants, hearts, and stars. Whatever I had on hand. You can make them and serve them to your little and to adults with a glass of mummy juice. Either way, make and eat with love.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (8oz) shredded cheddar cheese (orange)
  • 1 cup Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
  • 1-2 tbsp. ice water, as needed.

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F/180c.
  • Add the shredded cheese, flour and butter to a food processor and pulse until it is a grainy texture.
  • Add 1-2 tbsp. iced cold water and pulse until it starts to form into a dough.
  • Add a tsp. of water at a time if you need to add more to bring it together.
  • Place the dough mixture onto a surface and lightly knead it to come together.
  • Form a disc and wrap it in plastic. Place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thick. Cut into goldfish with a stencil ($12 from Amazon) or use a pizza cutter to create square-shaped crackers.
  • Bake the crackers for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Pop them back in the oven if they need to cook further, just keeping an eye on them.
  • Let cool and store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

High Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies (DF, GF)

By , February 2, 2024

‘When you are a mother, you are never alone in your thoughts, you must think once for yourself and once for the others’.

This is a recipe my mum saw on British TV. She loves to bake, but I never eat her sweets as I don’t have a sweet tooth and I am gluten free. She found this high protein, gluten and dairy recipe and tried it out just for me.

The cookies are delicious and due to the high protein can be a good breakfast or pick me up. You cannot taste the chickpea flour, so others have no idea it is a healthier cookie. If you are diary free you can use carob instead of chocolate chips which will give a little bitter chocolate taste. If you like them sweeter, use chocolate. They also work well with nuts and/or raisins.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups chickpea flour
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup, melted, coconut oil
  • ¼ cup chocolate/carob chips

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Add the coconut oil to the brown sugar and vanilla and mix. Next add the egg, mix well. Add the chocolate chips.
  • Sieve the flour, baking soda and salt together.
  • Add both mixes together.
  • Use an ice-cream scoop to scoop balls onto a lined baking tray, press down slightly with a fork.
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes or until they brown at the bottom.
  • They will be soft when coming out of the oven but harden up as they cool.

Banana Bread Milk (V, GF)

By , January 19, 2024

‘If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.’ – Einstein

I thought this was an interesting combination for a bridge between a smoothie and milk. I swapped out maple syrup for dates to make it a little sweeter as my banana wasn’t as ripe as I wanted. In the summer you could freeze this and make it into an ice cream or ice pop.

Pecans– Nourish fat and blood plasma, are nutritive and an antioxidant.

Banana – Full of electrolytes and natural energy, bananas are great for several reasons. They are a great source of potassium, which is good for your muscles. They help mucous production in the gut so work as a great anti-acid and settle the stomach.

Ingredients

  • ½ ripe banana
  • 2 tbsp. raisins
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 2/3 cup cashew nuts
  • 4 dates, pitted and chopped.
  • 1-2 tsp. vanilla
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • 5 cups of filtered water

Method

  • Place all the ingredients in a blender (or an almond cow), blend until fully combined.
  • Sieve using a cheese cloth.
  • Use the pulp for muffins or oatmeal.
  • Store in a clean glass bottle for up to 5 days