I concocted these delicious salty, minty, meaty bites recently. Great for providing some soakage with a glass of wine before a nice dinner (helps you avoid the sugar rush from the wine). The combination of mint and grilled aubergine gives a Middle Eastern feel, I think. do try to get true feta (made from goat or sheep milk, not cow). It has a better flavour and is easier to digest.
Makes about 20
1 very large or 2 medium aubergines, sliced lengthways into 1cm thick slices
1 tsp ground coriander
A few sprigs fresh mint
Half a block of goat or sheep feta cheese
5 sun dried (or semi sun dried) tomatoes marinated in oil, each cut in quarters or sixths
Freshly ground black pepper
To secure: cocktail sticks or around 20 long chives
1. Arrange the aubergine slices on a grill and sprinkle with ground coriander. Grill under a medium heat until golden, turn and continue cooking until softened. These will keep for several days in the fridge or until you are ready to assemble the bites.
2. Slice the long aubergine pieces crossways into 4cm wide strips. Onto each piece of aubergine put a piece of sun-dried tomato and a piece of torn mint leaf.
3. Give everything a good grind of black pepper. Roll the aubergine up with the mint and tomato inside. Secure with a cocktail stick or if you are feeling super-fancy, tie with a chive, knotted to hold everything together.
Why these are better for you Did you know that goat and sheep cheese are easier for many of us to digest than cow cheese? This is because they contain less of the hard-to-digest casein protein than cow milk products do. Any cheese with a tangy taste has also undergone some fermentation, converting the lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. This means that they are not a problem for people who can’t digest lactose. If you have taken antibiotics, have an inflammatory bowel condition or have digestive or skin issues you could be low in beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus. This impairs your ability to digest lactose. Mint and peppermint can help reduce levels of bad bacteria (that’s why they are in toothpaste!) but support growth of good bugs. This can be really helpful for making your digestive system more comfortable after a meal. Coriander is anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing as well as being delicious. Caution: don’t cram in tons of sundried tomatoes or feta every day because these are very high in table salt. Table salt is an industrial product with added aluminium to keep it from clumping – this makes it not very good for us. For adding to food, Atlantic sea salt or Himalayan salt is a better choice as it contains other minerals besides sodium. Eating protein with your glass of wine instead of high carb snacks like crisps or bread sticks means you don’t get a sugar rush (very damaging to all your body tissues, including a leading cause of wrinkles!!).
I like to cook this to go with a fish, meat or vegetarian curry. This is great with the butterbean curry I posted recently, or any Indian fish, meat or lentil curry. I adapted this recipe from “The classic 1000 Indian recipes” switching to coconut oil instead of polyunsaturated vegetable oil. I love to have a popadom or two with this – buy them raw for a few cents in your local Indian shop and microwave individually on high for 1 minute. I’m not a fan of microwaves but when the alternative is deep frying and it’s only once in a while, what the hell…
You will need a mini food processor (or old-fashined mouli-legume) to blend the spinach into a puree.
For 4
500g spinach leaves, washed
2 level tbs virgin coconut oil (or butter or ghee)
3 large garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
4cm ginger root, peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 rounded tsp garam masala
1 rounded tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground red chilli (optional)
1 cup water leftover from steaming veg, or use plain water
Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
1. Place the spinach in a steamer, cover and steam for a few minutes until wilted. Blend to a puree in the food processor.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based pan and sweat the onion, ginger and garlic with 1 tbs water over a medium heat until softened and translucent but not brown. Sweating involves using a gentle heat and covering the pan with a lid or plate so the steam cooks it.
3. Stir in the ground spices and a pinch of Himalayan/Atlantic sea salt.
4. Mix in the blended spinach and heat through, stirring, for a few minutes.
Serve with:
My butterbean curry or a meat/fish curry.
Darnes of salmon you have dusted with (gluten-free) curry powder and grilled (allow about 5-6 mins flesh side up then turn and grill skin side up for 1-2 mins).
Why this is good for you Herbs and spices have fantastic health benefits. From helping blood flow to your brain to inhibiting inflammation. Chilli is clinically proven to heal stomach ulcers. ginger is anti-inflammatory especially in the digestive system, where it soothes inflamed membranes. Turmeric aids liver function and quells inflammatory conditions in the skin, joints and more. What’s not to like as they also make meals SO much more exciting. Not just fresh but dried herbs and spices have benefits provided you keep them in airtight containers away from sunlight. Like all dark green leafy vegetables, spinach is a rich source of folic acid and magnesium. Folic acid helps your digestive system carry out essential repairs and maintenance every day while magnesium is essential for liver function, healthy skin, stress reduction and sleep.
This mash is a fantastic substitute for mashed potato. I love it because contains more nutrients and much less (natural) sugar and is still delicious. All the comfort of regular mash, none of the downside.
1 small head cauliflower, separated into florets
1 leek, white (and 6cm of green if you like), well washed, cut into 1cm slices
1 knob (about the size of a walnut in its shell) of organic ghee (for people with dairy protein tolerance) or butter or 1 dsp extra v olive oil
2 tbs of unsweetened additive-free non dairy milk like coconut or almond or (if you can eat dairy) you can substitute regular milk or cream
Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
¼ tsp freshly ground black or white pepper plus pinch of Himalayan salt/sea salt
1. Steam the cauliflower until softened, then throw the leek in on top and steam everything until very soft. Drain well.
2. Place the vegetables with the milk, ghee/butter and seasonings in the food processor and blitz for a few minutes until smooth. It will have some flecks of green thorough it and look like potato mash.
Tip:
Make lots and store leftovers in the freezer. Reheat over a gentle heat, stirring.
Variation:
Add 2 good tablespoons of chopped parsley when blitzing.
Why this is good for you: First of all you are getting sulphur from brassica and onion family veg (cauli and leek). This helps your detoxification. Leeks also contain prebiotic fibre which turbo-charges growth of certain good gut bacteria to keep you well. There’s also the major benefit of this mash being much lower in carbohydrates (sugars) than potato mash. Potatoes, especially peeled and mashed are massively high in (natural) sugars which promote blood sugar imbalances when you eat large amounts. Meals very high in carbohydrates slow down our detoxification. Also, because they are satiating, they prevent us from eating lots more vitality-boosting green and non-starchy vegetables in a meal. A seemingly healthy meal of say potatoes, carrots, parsnips and meat is in fact a large sugar overload because the veg are all root vegetables and therefore rich in sugars. Potatoes contain much more sugar than other root veg like carrots. A much more health-supporting combination would be 25% meat, up to 25% starchy carbs (e.g. carrots, potatoes, parsnips, turnips) and 50% or more non starchy vegetables (e.g. green vegetables, cauliflower).
I just discovered this recipe (and adapted it a little to be healthier) by Rose Elliot and its lovely. Just the thing for a cold winters evening. Comfort food at its best. I made extra for leftovers next day or to stick in the freezer.
For 2-3 people
1 mug (200g) dried butter beans or 2 x 400g tins (with no added sugar)
2 tbs virgin coconut oil or ghee
1 large onion, chopped
400g fresh tomatoes, chopped (or half a 400g tin chopped tomatoes)
1 rounded tsp black mustard seeds (if you don’t have any, use 1/2 tsp mustard powder)
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 tbs raw ginger, grated (peel the ginger first if its not organic)
1/2-1 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
1 level tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp asofoetida (a sulphur-rich Indian spice from Asian shops but gluten-sensitive people DO check the ingredient label)
A little water
Fresh coriander, chopped, if you have it
1. Soak the dried beans in lots of clean filtered water overnight. Boil hard for 15 minutes and continue to cook until soft. Drain but keep the liquid and set aside. If using tinned beans, drain and rinse in clean water and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add 1 tbs water and sweat the onion (with the lid on) over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until translucent and softened.
3. Add the spices and stir around for a minute or two.
4. Add the tomatoes and garlic and about 50ml of water too. Add the cooked butter beans, stir well and cook the lot together for at least 5 minutes, until the beans are hot. You should have something that is not dry so if it looks like there is not enough liquid to stop everything from sticking, add a little more.
5. Sprinkle with chopped coriander just prior to serving.
Serve with:
Something raw: e.g. a green baby leaf salad, an Indian style salad of chopped tomato, red onion and coriander, or the spinach curry on this blog.
and
Cauliflower rice or (not for SC Diet)
Or
(Not for SC Diet) quinoa/brown basmati rice cooked with a little turmeric
Why this is good for you: Almost all herbs and spices have huge health benefits. From mustard reducing the pain and irritation of eczema, to chillies healing stomach ulcers by strengthening the stomach lining (and killing pain), to ginger and turmeric as anti-inflammatories that support liver function. Herbs and spices have strong antioxidant properties even at small doses and thousands of scientific research papers keep the evidence stacking up. Butter beans are a lovely source of protein to keep you fuller for longer and reduce your reliance on meat. They take up flavours really well. Just be sure to soak the beans overnight in filtered water before boiling hard for at least 15 minutes, and continuing to cook till tender. Beans contain protease inhibitors – substances that prevent digestion (!). Proper soaking and cooking disables these protease inhibitors, making the nutrients in the beans more available to your body. Nutrients include magnesium, vital for skin, sleep and good mental health. Beans also contain soluble fibre. This feeds good bacteria in your gut responsible for detoxifying hormones and much much more.
I love to make these around Christmas-time. They are deliciously moist, flattish but light and are a crowd-pleaser. Prune-haters also usually like these cakes, provided you keep it a secret that they contain prunes! They will keep in an airtight jar in a cool place for about 10 days. I love spices so I generally also add some extra. I add a generous pinch of ground cloves and ground ginger but you don’t have to.
1. Put prunes and water in a small pan and simmer till water is absorbed
2. Combine with the almonds and mixed spice
3. Grate the pear into the almond mixture and stir
4. Fold in the egg white to make a thick paste
5. Place 16 dessertspoonfuls of mix on a greased baking tray
6. Bake 170C (or 155C fan) for 20 mins or until lightly browned
Why these are better for you First of all these cakes have some high quality protein from the almonds and egg white. This means that the sugars from the pears and prunes only gradually hits your bloodstream (protein slows down absorption of sugars in your gut). This is good news if you like to keep your energy, mood and blood sugar levels fairly even. Sulphur dioxide is a preservative that can have unpleasant effects on your digestive system. Mixed spice, like all spices, contains antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and slow the ageing process. Cooking damages foods, so these are not as healthy as eating raw food (e.g. my raw green tea macaroons on this blog). But sometimes you just want cake anyway…
Try this as a side instead of potatoes with some grilled fish and green veg. We had it last weekend with gorgeous meaty (nitrite-free) sausages and steamed broccoli drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The sausages came from Coolaknowle Organic Meats https://organicmeat.ie/ at the Green door Market in Dublin on Fridays and Saturdays. All their meats are fantastic quality and none contain nitrites. They also do a really good gluten-free sausage that’s high meat content and of course, also nitrite-free. I LOVE the Green Door Market – so many fantastic food producers under one roof. Saturday is THE best day https://www.thegreendoor.ie/
For 4 servings:
One small celeriac
2 tbs thick homemade kefir, natural yoghurt (if you are on the SC diet, the kefir or natural yoghurt need to be home-made) or creme fraiche
Juice of half a lemon
2 dsp Dijon mustard
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of Himalayan/Atlantic sea salt
1. Peel the celeriac (you’ll need to cut off anything knobbly).
2. Coarsely grate or cut into thin batons (about 2mm thick) or julienne strips (you could also use a spiraliser and use the “noodle” attachment).
2. Combine with all the other ingredients and mix well.
Serving idea:
Drape with smoked salmon and serve with a mixed salad.
Why this is better for you
Celeriac is lower in carbohydrates (sugars) than potatoes so it’s a much healthier choice for anyone who cares about their waistline, their digestive health or their ability to look younger for longer. Mustard helps reduce inflammation. An interesting recent study showed a marked improvement in eczema when mustard was added to the diet of mice with the inflammatory skin condition. And of course celeriac is free of disaccharides, the sugars that anyone with active Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis cannot digest.
These aren’t fried at all but taste just as delicious. This simple side is good with green veg and some grilled/roasted fish, or roasted meats but it would also be nice with a vegetarian bean stew. You can use pumpkin instead of the squash if you like. I like to add leftovers of this dish to my lunchtime salad the next day.
The recipe is in Raman Prasad’s “Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet“. As know from my last blog, this diet can be a real lifesaver for people with serious intestinal inflammation (Crohn’s or Colitis). The diet often gets them into a much better state so they can work on the root causes of their condition and move towards staying symptom-free.
For 4-6 servings
1 butternut squash (or small pumpkin)
1 large celeriac
3 tbs (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
Lots of freshly ground black pepper1/2 tsp Himalayan/Atlantic sea salt
One or all of the following if you have them:
1 dsp dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika or 2 dsp fresh thyme leaves
1. Preheat (fan) oven to 180C (195 for non-fan).
2. Peel the squash, cut in half, and scoop out the inside seeds. chop into 1.5cm dice. Peel the celeriac and cut into similarly sized cubes.
3. Tip the veg into a large baking tray, sprinkle on the salt, pepper (and herbs/spices if using) and the olive oil. Toss everything well with your hands until everything is well coated.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning once to ensure they cook evenly.
Why this is good for you: These veggies are higher in fibre and lower in sugars than potatoes so they are a healthier choice. Orange veg are high in beta carotene, important for skin health and for keeping your digestive system in tip top condition. Unlike potatoes and grains, these are much less likely to irritate an already inflamed digestive system. Because they are starchy carbs (i.e. high in natural sugars) these are not suitable for eating on their own but need protein (e.g. fish, eggs, beans, meat) and green veg alongside for a balanced meal.
This dish is inspired by the flavours of Greece – fresh white fish, lemons, garlic and oregano. I saw a prepack product and thought “wouldn’t it be nice to make the fresh version”. It only takes a few minutes to get in the oven and is bursting with flavour and freshness. We enjoyed it with steamed leeks, courgettes and carrots sprinkled with some extra virgin olive oil.
For two:
Lemon, garlic, oregano for fish
2 x 160g sea bream or sea bass fillets
1/2 cup (about 100ml) white wine (or 4 tbs water and 1 dsp lemon juice)
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil or (if you want dairy) a knob of butter
Zest of 1 small lemon (organic or scrubbed with soapy water and rinsed)
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely sliced/chopped
Handful fresh oregano (about 5 x 12cm sprigs), stalks removed (if you don’t have fresh oregano you could use fresh tarragon or 1 tbs of chopped thyme leaves)
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Lay the 2 pieces of fish skin side down in a small roasting tin or ovenproof dish. 3. Pour over the wine (or water with lemon juice), the olive oil or butter and sprinkle on the lemon zest and garlic and a few good grinds of black pepper.
4. Chop the oregano. Reserve half for later and sprinkle half over the fish.
5. Cover the dish with tinfoil and seal the edges. Or use a close-fitting lid. The idea is that the fish steams in the liquid and stays succulent, rather than roasting and drying out. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
6. Serve sprinkled with the remaining chopped oregano.
Serve with:
Any green vegetable. We like steamed leeks and broccoli. And optionally some carrots or carrot mash.
Why this is great for you: Oregano and garlic can help supercharge your health and vitality. They both act against overgrowths of disease-causing bacteria and yeasts in your gut. The bacteria that live in your gut outnumber the cells of your body 10 to one and they have a massive impact on mental and physical health. Not having enough good bacteria, or an overgrowth of bad is a major factor in skin conditions and digestive troubles. If you take antibiotics, eat food with glyphosate (herbicide) residues, or eat a high carbohydrate diet, your gut bacteria will not be all they should be. Garlic and oregano can help start to set things right. Garlic, oregano and lemons also contain anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory compounds that protect your brain and your joints and slow down the accumulation of wrinkles. Unprocessed white fish is a good source of high-quality protein. Protein is needed for helping us eliminate natural and man-made toxins. If you team the protein up with (more than half your plate) greens and multicoloured veg you have a winning formula for energy and vitality.
This is based on a Sophie Grigson recipe I loved, but lost. My husband says this version is the best of my attempts to recreate it. It’s dead simple. Enjoy with strips of red pepper, carrot, cucumber or celery and maybe a few olives. Dips with veg sticks before a main course are a great way of encouraging your kids to eat veggies too – take advantage of them being hungry!!
For a smoother dip use normal tahini made from roasted sesame seeds. For a coarser (and even more vitality boosting) dip use raw tahini (e.g. Carly’s) from health shops. Raw seeds retain their beneficial oils to do your body even more good. If you’re not going to use this dip within half an hour or so, store in a small screwtop glass jar or else a small glass/ceramic container with clingfilm over the top (but not in contact with the dip itself) to stop it drying out.
To make this dip into a sauce add a little more water to thin and drizzle over cooked white fish or felafels.
To serve 3-4 as a starter
2 cloves garlic
2 level tbs dark tahini
1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
1 dsp extra virgin olive oil
1 level tsp cumin
Pinch Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
4 tbs water
Mini food processor method:
1. Crush the garlic and throw it and the rest of the ingredients into a mini food processor.
2. Blend for a couple of minutes, scraping down the sides of the processor a few times to get everything well mixed.
3. If you have time, allow to sit for half an hour for the flavours to amalgamate.
Traditional method:
1. Crush the garlic and place in a mixing bowl with everything except the water.
2. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then add half the water. The tahini will become quite stiff at this point, just keep mixing and it will start to relax and absorb the water.
3. Mix well, then add the rest of the water and work till smooth. This will be a more rustic mix than using the food processor. If you have time, allow to sit for half an hour for the flavours to amalgamate.
NB. If you are on a ketogenic eating plan, avoid eating more than 1/2 cup raw carrots in the day. Like all root veg, they are rich in sugar and too many will derail your programme.
Why this is good for you:
Garlic is a fantastic booster for your whole body. It kills yeast infections and overgrowths of pathogenic (“bad”) bacteria in your gut. This is good news if you want to sort out your digestion or achieve beautiful skin. Garlic’s sulphur compounds also support your liver to clear chemicals, used-up hormones and other toxins out of your body. Skin conditions are usually largely due to problems in the digestive system. Sort those out and you have dont more than 90% what you need to do. If you are not used to eating garlic, especially raw garlic, start with a little and gradually build up. Garlic is in my top 10 vitality boosting foods. Spices like cumin and cayenne pepper also have great benefits – anti inflammatory, anti-ageing and more. Have you had your spices today?
If you like both Thai food and Spanish gazpacho you will love this recipe by Domini Kemp. I think it’s fantastic. Have it as a filling snack, as a starter or with some chicken or fish and a little green salad for a main meal. If you don’t like cold soups, then this can be heated very gently until only just lukewarm.
For 4-6 servings
For the soup:
400ml tin full fat coconut milk (go for organic from health shops – free from chemical emulsifiers and BPA in tin linings)
1 large ripe avocado
2 large tomatoes, cut into rough chunks
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Big knob ginger
1 large tbs (25g) non-gmo miso paste from a jar or vacuum pack (if you are gluten-free then brown rice miso is best, or hatcho miso)
Juice of 2 limes and 2 lemons
1 courgette, sliced
1 red chilli, de-seeded and sliced
Big bunch each coriander and basil
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
Black pepper to taste
For garnish:
1 red onion, very finely chopped
Fresh coriander
Blitz everything except the garnish ingredients in a liquidiser or food processor to form a smooth soup.
Pour into bowls and sprinkle the finely chopped red onion and coriander on top.
Why this is great for you The raw miso in this soup is packed with beneficial bacteria so important for your skin, digestion and even your mood. Heating above 45C would destroy these good bacteria so the fact the soup is raw is brilliant. Beneficial bacteria help your body to clear used-up hormones such as testosterone and oestrogens, help repair your intestines and make digestive enzymes and even control your mood and how your skin looks. Coriander, lemon, lime and garlic actively help your liver and gut clear normal (and abnormal) toxins out of your body. In our chemical-laden modern world, this is good news. Coconut milk contains capryllic acid, which, like raw garlic, helps to kill off excessive pathogenic yeasts (eg candida albicans). Fresh coriander also binds to heavy metals (like mercury from dental fillings) and escorts them safely out of your body via your bowel.
