This is a delicious bright green soup and contains protein from the peas. It is a meal in itself and just the thing for a wintery Irish January day while you recover from the festive season splurge. It takes about 20 minutes to make and it freezes well. Dried herbs won’t really cut it in this soup, it just won’t taste great. I got the original recipe from Rose Elliot’s “Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking” but adapted it to use better-for-you oils and fats.
For 4:
15g butter or ghee (clarified butter, suitable for those with dairy intolerance), or if you don’t have either of these, 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
900g frozen peas (petits pois are the nicest)
1½ litre vegetable stock (make by boiling up chopped carrots, onions, cabbage or other green veg stalks, a leek and a bouquet garni) or use Kallo veg stock cubes/Marigold bouillon
A generous handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs chopped fresh mint
To serve: extra virgin olive oil or natural yoghurt
1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the onion, sweat on a low heat, covered, until soft and translucent.
2. Wash your thyme, then find an elastic band or a piece of string and tie it in a bunch, this saves you spending ages fishing out stray twigs from the soup later. Set aside.
3. Add the peas to the saucepan and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring often. Pour in the stock/water, add the thyme, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for a few mins until the peas are done.
4. Find the bunch of thyme sprigs and roughly (with a spoon) separate the leaves (which you want) from the twigs (which you don’t). Leave the leaves in the soup and throw away the twigs.
5. Add the chopped fresh mint and process till smooth.
Serve with:
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about a teaspoon) or a blob of natural yoghurt on the top. For dairy-free diets, avoid yoghurt.
Variations:
If you want to increase the variety of vegetables in this soup you can add 1 large leek at the same time as the onion.
Why this is good for you: Peas are a great source of vegetable protein so this is a good sustaining soup and a perfectly balanced meal even on its own. The protein and the fats will keep you full for ages. Like all intensely green vegetables, peas are also rich in magnesium. You need magnesium for stress management, sleep, detox and even weight loss. This soup avoids harmful refined oils (most cooking oils). Refined oils are found in shop confectionery, biscuits and cakes, processed foods and all cooking oils except cold-pressed or extra virgin oils. Heating virgin cold pressed nuts/seed oils makes them harmful. Olive oil can be gently heated, and virgin coconut oil/ghee/butter are safe for cooking at higher temperatures. Marigold, Vecon or Kallo are better quality stock cubes than most. Thyme has powerful antioxidant anti-inflammatory properties which slow ageing and tune up the health of your digestive system. Mint helps calm and soothe your whole digestive system.
This is a nice, comforting weekday recipe and is great value too. It freezes well to give you a stash of ready meals.
Indian lentil dhal
For 3 See “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients
1 rounded dsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 pint boiling water (or water leftover from steaming vegetables)
1 tsp Dr Coy’s Vegetable Bouillon (for SC Diet). Otherwise Kallo low salt veg stock cube (optional) or 1level tsp Vecon vegetable bouillon
28g creamed coconut, grated or chopped up – or 2 tbs thick tinned full fat coconut milk
Black pepper
1 level tsp (teaspoon) turmeric
1 rounded tsp garam masala (from Asian shops or make your own by grinding 25 g each of cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns in a coffee grinder or mini food processor to a fine powder)
225g/1 cup/230ml red lentils
Optional: a handful of fresh (rinsed and destalked) coriander leaves to garnish
Put onions, oil, 1 tsp water into a saucepan, cover and sweat 5 mins until onions are softened.
Add spices, garlic, cook 2 mins. Add a tablespoon or two of water if the mixture is dry.
Stir in the lentils, cook 1 min, add the boiling water. NB Don’t add stock cube or salt-containing vegetable bouillon before lentils are cooked or they will toughen and take forever.
Bring to the boil, cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 mins or until soft.
Meanwhile dissolve the veg stock cube or bouillon if using in a little boiling water. Stir the chopped/grated coconut or thick coconut milk and the dissolved stock cube (if using) into the cooked lentils until dissolved. The mixture should be soft but not sloppy.
Season to taste, adding more water if you want the mix thinner.
Scatter over the coriander leaves if using
Serve with:
At least 1/2 a plateful steamed greens and other vegetables per person (e.g. shredded cabbage, broccoli florets, mange tout peas, sugar snaps, green beans and cauliflower, sliced carrots or sliced/diced turnips) and optionally (if you’re NOT on SC Diet) a little brown rice
Why this recipe is good for you: Spices and herbs lower inflammation and delay the onset of wrinkles! Soluble fibre in lentils and beans feeds good gut bacteria needed for a healthy immune system, good digestive and bowel function and hormonal balance. This type of fibre lowers cholesterol, and helps eliminate used hormones and toxins by sticking to them in the gut, carrying them safely out through the bowels. Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides that go to help energy production rather then being stored in your body as fat. These medium chain triglycerides are also helpful for brain function, especially for anyone experiencing age-related memory decline. Lentils and brown rice are also rich in B vitamins needed for energy production, libido, stress control and mood. Deficiency of B vitamins is common if you are stressed or regularly eat refined foods, stimulants or drink excess alcohol.
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.
Now the weather is lovely, my thoughts turn to all those things I can make in advance to graze on over the weekend, or for weekday lunchboxes. The colours of the lemon zest, herbs, carrots and red peppers stand out like jewels against the earthy tones of the lentils. This makes a great main course alongside a large mixed salad and maybe sometimes starchy, like a steamed sliced sweet potato, or some quinoa anointed with pesto. You could also use this as a starter, or instead of potatoes/rice with some grilled/roast white fish or chicken. Good when trying to feed vegetarians and carnivores a the same meal!
For a quick weekday version of this classic French salad: Just cook the lentils and carrot with a bay leaf, drain and add a generous splash of balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil and lots of black pepper. Good with large multicoloured mixed salad.
Serves 3 as a main course salad, 6 as a starter
200g/1 mugful Puy lentils
1 medium/large carrot, peeled and diced into 1/8”/0.5cm squares
½ a red (or white) onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
Lemon vinaigrette (see below) or a splash of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and lots of black pepper.
If you eat dairy: 50g goat/sheep feta, crumbled (optional)
2 teaspoons mint, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley or coriander
Black pepper to taste
2 medium red peppers (optional i.e. if you are feeling fancy!)
1. Rinse the lentils, cover them generously with clean water and bring them to a boil with the garlic, carrot, onion and bay leaf.
2. Simmer until they are cooked (15-20 ins) but still hold their shape.
3. Drain the lentil mixture and save the liquid for making soups or gravies.
4. While the lentils are cooking prepare the red peppers (if using) by grilling under a hot grill until the skins are charred, then put them in a covered bowl to steam for 10 mins or so, then take off the charred skins with a knife. Do not rinse them under water or the sweet juices will be lost. Slit them open, remove the seeds, and cut into strips or squares.
5. While the lentils are still hot add the feta, vinaigrette, herbs and the red peppers and their juice, if they are ready.
For the Lemon vinaigrette:
Juice and peel of one lemon (ideally organic, or scrubbed very well)
1/2 level tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ level teaspoon Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt (optional)
6-8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Remove two wide strips of peel from the lemon with a veg peeler and slice them into narrow slivers.
2. Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl or put in a screw top jar and shake well.
Why this is good for you: Lentils are a great source of soluble fibre which feeds good bacteria to help your skin, digestion, mood and immunity. Lentils are a good source of protein instead of meat or fish at a meal so will keep you full for ages. Herbs and spices are antioxidant and help delay the visible signs of ageing (wrinkles, saggy skin, anyone?). Red peppers and carrots are a good source of beta carotene, which helps give your skin a golden glow, even without the aid of the sun, according to British study of university students. Another bonus of this salad is the raw extra virgin olive oil, which gives vitamin E to make your skin (and all your parts!) smooth and moisturised from within.
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 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.
Had to rush home last Saturday at lunchtime and there was not a lot in the house. We cobbled this together and it was gorgeous! We thought it had quite a lot of umami – the sort of meaty, satisfying deliciousness chefs and food writers go on about.
If you have a problem with raw onions, try cutting up the onions before you do anything else. Soak them in the lemon juice for 10 minutes – it “cooks” the onions and takes the heat right out. I don’t know how it works, but it does.
For 4
1 dsp of sundried tomato paste, dairy free red pesto or paste from my Indian spiced butternut squash recipe on this blog (ingredients below)
2 tins (about 850g) rinsed, drained, cooked chickpeas
2 tbs lemon juice
3-4 spring onions, finely sliced (or ¼ of a large red onion, thinly sliced or chopped)
Small bunch parsley, chopped (tip: rinse, dry and chop parsley and keep in the freezer for instant use)
1 heaped tbs black olives – pitted or unpitted, whatever you prefer
3 sundried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water for 5-10 mins, drained and chopped (Or use semi sundried, which don’t need to be soaked at all)
Black pepper
2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
A handful of leftover bite size pieces of baked or steamed sweet potato, squash, potato, pumpkin, quinoa or millet you might have hanging around the fridge
The Indian spiced butternut squash rub from the recipe on this blog is made by mixing:
1 level tsp turmeric
1 rounded tsp ground cumin
Rounded tsp ground coriander
Half level tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
2 tbs (140g tin) tomato puree
1 tbs virgin olive oil
In a large bowl mix up the paste or sundried tomato pesto with the lemon juice, olive oil, chopped parsley and a few good grinds of black pepper.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to coat. Serve at room temperature.
Serve with a large green salad or as a side dish to roast meat/white fish with a green vegetable.
Variation:
Use a small bunch of roughly chopped coriander instead of parsley, or 1 teaspoonful of chopped fresh rosemary leaves.
Why this is good for you: Herbs and spices are fantastic for your health. They help clear your skin and slow the ageing process. They are also anti-inflammatory, good news for calming your digestive system. Chickpeas and onions are a great source of soluble fibre which provides nourishment for the friendly bacteria in your gut. If you are new to eating beans and pulses, start with small amounts and build up. Friendly bacteria are important for all aspects of wellness, from weight management, to good skin, healthy digestion and strong immunity to prevent infections and colds. Chickpeas are rich in protein (at around 8%) so they can take the place of meat or fish at a meal. If 25% of every meal is protein, you will stay fuller longer and be less prey to cravings. Chickpeas contain magnesium too, which aids relaxation.
This is a chocolate cake that I’d call a crowd-pleaser. It’s really easy and even healthy enough to eat for breakfast. It disappeared within half an hour yesterday when I brought it in to clinic for the other practitioners. It’s really moist and rich though it contains no oil or butter. Unless you know, you could never tell it was made using beans. If you can, use organic ingredients, especially the eggs and the orange zest. I adapted this from the original recipe on atastylovestory.com. The cooled cake stays really moist for at least 2 days if you store it in an airtight container.
1 heaped plus 1 level tbs cocoa powder
1 heaped plus 1 level tbs brown or white rice flour, organic if possible
1 rounded tsp aluminium-free baking powder*
1 x 400g tin of black beans, rinsed and drained (or soak 180g beans overnight then boil till very soft, cool before using)
3 large eggs
150g erythritol or xylitol (use 100g if you like your cakes only slightly sweet)
1 espresso shot (25-30ml) strong dandelion coffee or coffee
½ tsp vanilla extract
Juice and zest from ½ a medium sized (organic if possible) orange
A pinch of Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
50g fresh or thawed frozen raspberries or dark chocolate (70% cocoa) chopped into pieces about the size of raisins
1 small loaf tin
Silicon or greaseproof paper
A little oil for greasing the tin
1. Preheat oven to 180C (165C fan oven). Grease and line the base of the loaf tin with a rectangle of paper.
2. Sieve the rice flour, cocoa and baking soda together into a bowl.
3. Blend all the ingredients except the chocolate in a food processor or blender (put liquid ingredients in first, then add beans gradually to help everything go round) until the mixture is smooth. The mixture will seem really runny.
4. Pour batter into a greased, parchment-lined loaf tin. Spread raspberries or chocolate pieces across the surface pressing in with a teaspoon.
5. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. It’s done when the point of a knife or cooking needle comes out clean when you stick it into the middle of the cake. Set aside to cool completely before removing it from the tin.
Note: If you decide to make 2 loaves together this will increase the baking time to around 50 minutes.
*Aluminium in baking powder or bread soda is often listed as “flow agent” or “anti-caking agent”
Why this recipe is better for you The beans in this recipe contain soluble fibre which is a valuable food source for the friendly gut bacteria you need for healthy immunity. Healthy immunity means great defences against pathogens AND not having autoimmune/inflammatory conditions like psoriasis, eczema, hypothyroidism, Crohns or arthritis.
This cake is protein-rich and grain-free, which means it will keep you fuller for longer and not cause spikes in blood sugar (and energy) in the way that “normal” cakes do. It’s low GI, meaning it doesn’t load you up with sugar and deplete essential vitamins and minerals. This is important if you want a tip top immune system and to keep your stress levels low. Xylitol is a healthier alternative to sugar and can safely be used by people with diabetes.
Dandelion coffee is literally the dried, roasted roots of the dandelion plant. It helps support your liver and gallbladder function to help digestion and even your skin. Buy pre-ground dandelion coffee from www.intelligenttea.ie or from health stores dandelion coffee to grind at home. Do avoid “instant” dandelion coffee products they are packed with immune-sabotaging sugars like lactose or dextrose.
Aluminium is an additive in most baking powder and a lot of bread sodas – its used to prevent clumping. Unfortunately aluminium is a “heavy metal” which means it interferes with the body’s ability to utilise nutrients. This can result in a range of issues such as digestive difficulties or low mood.
Using an organic orange and organic eggs means you get less exposure to pesticides. Pesticides are concentrated on the skins or peels or fruit and also in fatty parts of animal produce (eg. egg yolks). Non-organic hens housed in cramped conditions are routinely dusted with pesticides as they are prone to ticks and mites. These chemicals are absorbed through the skin and by inhaling and a certain amount ends up in the eggs. Pesticides are drawn to the fat rich tissues of the body such as nerves and brain. This may be why (non-organic) farmers and agricultural workers have a higher rate of Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases compared to the normal population.
I love this cheap, aromatic dish for a comforting weeknight dinner. The tofu (or chicken fillet) takes up the flavour of the ginger and the black bean sauce well. It’s a good “crossover” dish which means you can feed meat-eaters and all but the strictest vegetarians together. To feed 1 vegetarian 1 arnivore halve the quantity of tofu and add 1 small chicken fillet (sliced 1cm thick across the grain) at the same time as the tofu. Cook till tender. You can then divide the tofu from the meat when serving (or on your plate, as my husband does when stay pieces of tofu escape onto his plate!!). If you really can’t abide tofu, then just use a small chicken fillet per person and drop the tofu.
For 2 See my larder & shopping section for where to buy new-to-you ingredients
1 rounded teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
1 large onion (red if possible), peeled, cut in half and sliced into wedges (like the segments of an orange)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or chopped roughly
1 dsp fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
4 large red peppers, de-seeded and sliced
250g organic, gmo-free fermented tofu (cut in approximately 1.5cm cubes)
1 tbs black bean sauce from Asian shops or use home-made (see recipe below)
A squeeze of lemon juice
Optional: 1 tbs dry sherry
Freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
2-3 cupfuls of cauliflower rice (home-made or from supermarket freezer section) or 100g brown basmati rice (dry weight)
If using rice, put it on to cook (see “how to cook brown rice” post for an easy way cook a lovely golden-coloured rice).
Throw the onions into a frying pan or wok with the coconut oil and the red peppers over a medium heat. Add a tiny splash of boiling water or vegetable stock, put a lid on, and sweat for 5-10 minutes until everything is softened a little.
Add garlic and ginger, turn up the heat and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
Add tofu/chicken, black bean sauce and sherry. Simmer, covered, for 5-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is cooked through (it will swell a little when it’s cooked), and the chicken (if using) is opaque.
Add lemon juice and black pepper and stir.
Serve with the rice
Variation:
Add tamari sauce to taste.
Use quinoa grains instead of brown rice if you want. It boosts the protein content of the meal.
You could also add in odds and ends from the fridge eg. leftover cooked green beans or cabbage or a few spring onions, sliced in 3cm lengths.
Black bean sauce:
This sauce keeps for 6-8 months in the fridge. If you own a mini food-processor it is worth making a jarful as it takes around 5 minutes to make from scratch. The type of black beans you need for this are semi-dried and are black and wrinkly-looking, like currants. They are available in the Asia Market or other oriental stores – you will need to ask for them though as they are usually labelled in Chinese. You CAN buy black bean sauce ready made but its usually packed with vitality-sapping sugar, maltodextrin and (watch out you gluten-sensitives) gluten.
Ingredients:
4 tbs black beans
Sherry (ideally dry but sweet will do)
1. Grind 4 tablespoons black beans to a paste in a pestle and mortar or a miniature food processor.
2. Add enough sherry to mix to a paste the consistency of yoghurt.
3. Store in a glass jar with lid in the fridge for up to 6 months – the sherry preserves everything.
Why this is good for you This recipe give you a small amount of rice (or even better, use cauliflower “rice”) and a larger amount of protein and low-starch veggies. This helps your health, waistline, and energy levels. Herbs and spices such as ginger and garlic help your liver cleanse the large amount of natural (and unnatural) chemicals we are exposed to every day. Good liver function is needed for almost all aspects of good health. Your liver is important for hormone balance, protecting you against life-threatening illness, maintaining good energy and even skin health. Fermented non-gmo soya products (eg fermented tofu, tempeh, miso) act as selective oestrogen receptor modulators, help balance hormones for both women and men.
Scientific research suggests that unfermented soya products (eg. soya “cheeze”, soya milk) are not helpful to our health. It’s best not to eat unfermeted tofu very much. Like wheat, milk, peanuts and cashews it is very high in lectins which cause temporary damage to your digestive system. If you can, then avoid regular intake of inferior (non-organic, non-fermented) tofu products. They are made using soy isolate (rather than whole soya beans)which can also can be contaminated with aluminium. Genetically modified foods cause immune suppression in animal studies and so are best avoided – good tofu will say non-gmo or organic on the package. You can keep leftover raw tofu for a week or more by covering it in salty water in the fridge.
Harira is a delicious, rich Moroccan soup that’s really delicious. With a green salad and maybe some gluten-free wholemeal bread, or some leftover cooked millet or brown rice stirred in it makes a main meal. This looks like a complicated soup but it is easy to make, provided you keep a storecupboard of some basic spices and some beans and pulses. Freeze it in single or multiple portions for TV dinners. I so love this on a dark winter’s night or after coming in freezing from working in the garden. Yum!!
If you are not used to eating beans and pulses then you might want to start with a small serving at a time, accompanied by some of your more “normal” (i.e. starchy) foods.
For 4
50g chickpeas
50g butterbeans
50g flageolet beans or white haricot beans
50g black-eyed beans (or black beans)
50g red kidney beans
50g large green (continental) lentils
50g yellow split peas
400g tin peeled, chopped tomatoes
225g onions, coarsely chopped
¼ level tsp black pepper
1 heaped tsp (teaspoon) ground turmeric
1 level tsp ground ginger
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
1 heaped tsp ground paprika
A good pinch of cayenne (optional)
Juice of ½ lemon
1½ tbs gram flour (chickpea flour) or brown rice flour. If you eat gluten, its OK to use brown spelt or wholewheat flour but do avoid if you are coeliac or intolerant)
1 very large handful fresh coriander (or parsley, if you don’t have coriander) chopped
2 heaped tsp dried mint
Pick over the pulses and discard any sticks or bits of grit.
Put chickpeas, butterbeans, flageolets/haricots, black eyed beans and kidney beans in a large saucepan and cover in twice their depth of clean water. Leave to soak overnight. If you forget to soak them then cover in lots of boiling water and soak for 1 hour. Drain off the soakwater and add 1.1L boiling water and simmer for 1½ hours.
Add the pulses (lentils and split peas), onions, tomatoes chopped with their juice, pepper, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and lemon. Boil fast for 10 minutes and then simmer for another hour. Add about 1.1L more water.
Add about 2 dessertspoons of cold water to the chickpea flour (or whatever flour you are using) and mix it to a smooth paste. Beat in a few ladlefuls of broth and pour this back in the soup, stirring vigorously. Continue to stir until the soup is bubbling again and has thickened without leaving any lumps. The flour gives the soup a texture which the Moroccans call “velvety” and which they usually achieve by stirring in leavened dough left over from breadmaking. Simmer the soup until the beans are soft.
Chop the herbs and add them with the paprika and cayenne, stir well and serve.
Note:
All beans and pulses come equipped with protease inhibitors – these are substances designed to stop them being digested by our protein-digesting enzymes (proteases). You can de-activate most of the protease inhibiters by soaking in cold water overnight – this helps inactivate the protease inhibitors. Then you need to cook till tender, boiling hard for at least 10 minutes of the cooking time. To make your beans/pulses ultra easy to digest, soak them at room temperature in clean cold water for a day or two until they start to sprout. Then cook and use as normal. If you never eat beans, then start with small portions and build up. Beans contain soluble fibre which feeds good gut bacteria. This can cause flatulence initially, which passes as you keep eating beans regularly.
Cook’s Handy Tip:
To reduce the cooking time of your beans/pulses soak a 7-10cm piece of Kombu seaweed in hot water for a few minutes. This removes the salt which could make the beans leathery as they cook. Chop it up and add to your beans before/during cooking. This also helps reduce the protease inhibitors and make the beans more digestible. It reduces the amount of cooking time needed and won’t be tasted in the final soup.
Why this is good for you: Beans and pulses are a great source of magnesium and potassium. They are also rich in protein so a cupful, cooked, is enough protein to keep you satisfied for hours. Thousands of scientific studies have been done on the health-boosting effects of spices. Eating a variety of spices in your daily diet is a great way of helping your health, soothing your digestive system and getting clear, younger-looking skin. spices also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Seaweed, which you can use to speed up the cooking time of your beans (see tip), is a rich source of iodine. Iodine is needed for proper thyroid function and to keep your breasts or prostate healthy. Most Irish people are deficient in iodine. Iodine utilisation is blocked by fluoride and chlorine in our water, and by bromide which is used to “improve” white flour. Irish people also eat less iodine-rich foods than ever because iodine is deficient in our soils. Iodine is needed by your body to clear used-up sex hormones (oestrogens in particular including the toxic xeno-oestrogens from our environment). This helps keep you free from breast and prostate tumours. You can get rid of chlorine from your water by filtering it, or by boiling the water and leaving it to cool. Fluoride can only be removed by a special fluoride filter like those available from www.simplywater.ie You can reduce bromides by switching from wheaten flour to other, more nutritious wholegrains like rye (contains gluten), millet, brown rice, wholemeal spelt and buckwheat flours.
