This sauce makes a brilliant base in which to cook or heat vegetables, white fish, tofu, pre-cooked lamb, or cooked chickpeas. It also freezes well for future fast dinners. I have also posted my “Aromatic ginger, tomato & coconut chicken” recipe where I use this lovely sauce to cook chicken fillet and spinach.
For enough sauce for 2 people Remember to check out my “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients
25g creamed coconut cut up roughly OR ½ cup of thick full-fat tinned coconut milk
3-4cm approx of fresh ginger root (enough to give 1 rounded dsp ginger when finely grated)
500g (500ml) bottle of passata (sieved tomatoes – from all supermarkets)
2 green chillies or ¼ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 large handful fresh coriander if you have it
2 large garlic cloves
Version 1 (made with food processor or liquidiser)
1. Peel the garlic, de-seed the chillies (or if you like more heat leave them in), chop the ginger and coriander roughly and throw the lot into a small food processor. A food processor is preferable to jug liquidiser as if gets the ingredients ground up more quickly.
2. Add enough of the passata to get everything going and blitz until smooth.
3. Pour into a saucepan, add the rest of the passata and the creamed coconut or coconut milk and simmer for five minutes until the creamed coconut is melted and the sauce has slightly darkened. The sauce is now ready for use. Or cool and store in the fridge for a day or two until needed, or in the freezer.
Version 2 (without kitchen gadgets)
1. De-seed and chop the chillies, crush or finely chop the garlic, chop up the creamed coconut and the coriander roughly, finely grate the ginger.
2. Put all of this, with the passata, into a saucepan
3. Simmer for 5 minutes until the coconut is melted and the sauce has darkened a little. The sauce is now ready for use. Or cool and store in the fridge for a day or two until needed, or in the freezer.
Add green vegetables of your choice and cubes of raw chicken or fish, or cooked lamb or beef and simmer till everything is cooked. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Chicken pieces and baby spinach (see recipe)
Stir the following into the sauce and bubble, covered, until the veg are cooked but still crunchy, and the meat is heated through:
150 cooked, cubed lamb, 1 x 454g tin or mug of cooked, drained chickpeas, and 4 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 x 450g tins or mugs of cooked, drained chickpeas plus 4 cups green beans cut into 4cm lengths
4 cups broccoli florets or 5cm lengths of runner beans and 300g bite-size cubes of firm white fish such as monkfish, lemon sole or coley
If you are not wanting to lose weight, and are not following a ketogenic or paleo diet, you could also enjoy some brown rice on the side.
Why this recipe is good for you: Processed tomatoes with no additives are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant that protects your skin from the damaging effects UV rays – like an edible sunblock! Your body absorbs lycopene better from pureed tomatoes than from whole tomatoes. Ginger, tomatoes, turmeric and chillies all have anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful for a healthy digestive system and good, clear skin. Non organic rice can be heavily contaminated with arsenic but fresh coriander bind to this and other toxic metals in your intestines, helping them be eliminated from your body. Spices like ginger and garlic help boost liver function, also to eliminate both natural and man-made toxins. Yet more reasons why herbs and spices are fantastic for you. Using passata packaged in glass jars or bottles means less exposure to toxic bisphenol A (BPA) , which is present in the plastic linings of cartons and tins. Scientific studies link BPA to hormonal imbalances such as low libido, endometriosis, fibroids, and hormone breast and prostate cancer) as well as osteoporosis. Limiting your exposure is good news.
I ate this yesterday and enjoyed every bite. For a change I made it using chicken pieces on the bone (instead of bite size chicken pieces) and so then I cooked it for longer. The sauce of tomatoes, chillies, coriander, garlic and ginger also makes a brilliant cook-in sauce for vegetables, white fish, tofu, pre-cooked lamb, or cooked chickpeas. It also freezes well for future fast dinners.
For 2 people Remember to check out my “larder & shopping” section for unusual ingredients
25g creamed coconut cut up roughly OR ½ cup of thick full-fat tinned coconut milk
3-4cm approx of fresh ginger root, peeled
500g (500ml) bottle of passata (sieved tomatoes – from all supermarkets)
2 green chillies or ¼ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 large handful fresh coriander if you have it
2 large garlic cloves
2 skinless chicken fillets, ideally organic, cut into bite sized chunks
300g organic baby leaf spinach* or chard
Brown basmati rice (optional) plus ground turmeric for cooking.
Version 1 (made with food processor or liquidiser)
1. Peel the garlic, de-seed the chillies (or if you like your dish quite hot leave them in), chop the ginger and coriander roughly and throw the lot into a small food processor. A food processor is preferable to jug liquidiser as if gets the ingredients ground up more quickly.
2. Add enough of the passata to get everything going and blitz until smooth.
3. Pour into a saucepan, add the rest of the passata and the creamed coconut or coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes till the coconut is melted. Stir.
4. Add the chicken pieces and simmer till tender (about 10 mins)
5. Stir in the spinach, turn up the heat and cook until wilted (about 5 mins)
Version 2 (without kitchen gadgets)
1. De-seed and chop the chillies, crush or finely chop the garlic, chop up the creamed coconut and the coriander roughly, finely grate the ginger.
2. Put all of this, with the passata, into a saucepan
3. Simmer for a few mins until the creamed coconut melts, stirring occasionally.
4. Add chicken and simmer until tender (about 10 mins)
5. Stir in the spinach, turn up the heat and cook until wilted (about 5 mins).
*Conventional spinach is one of the most agri-chemical contaminated vegetables you can buy. If you cant get organic spinach then using chard, sliced green leeks, or steamed-til-tender broccoli or steamed green beans are good substitutions.
Serve with:
Some steamed broccoli florets.
If you are not wanting to lose weight and are not on a ketogenic or stoneage/paleo diet you could add (for 2 people):
Brown basmati rice (*boil ½ mug brown rice with 1 mug boiling water and ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, covered, till water is absorbed and rice is fluffed up).
Variation: If you prefer to leave your chicken fillets whole, simply cook for longer in the sauce (about 25 minutes) until cooked through, before adding the spinach for the last few minutes.
Why this recipe is good for you: Processed tomatoes with no additives are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant that protects your skin from the damaging effects UV rays – like an edible sunblock! Your body absorbs lycopene better from pureed tomatoes than from whole tomatoes. Ginger, tomatoes, turmeric and chillies all have anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful for a healthy digestive system and good, clear skin. Non organic rice can be heavily contaminated with arsenic but fresh coriander bind to this and other toxic metals in your intestines, helping them be eliminated from your body. Spices like ginger help boost liver function, also to eliminate both natural and man-made toxins. Yet more reasons why herbs and spices are fantastic for you. Using passata packaged in glass jars or bottles means less exposure to toxic bisphenol A (BPA) , which is present in the plastic linings of cartons and tins. Scientific studies link BPA to hormonal imbalances such as low libido, endometriosis, fibroids, and hormone (e.g. breast and prostate cancer) as well as osteoporosis. Limiting your exposure is good news.
This is another lovely slow-cook recipe for winter. You could also do it on top of the stove so it simmers gently after initially coming up to the boil.
For 2:
250g lamb gigot chops (with bones) or fillet, trimmed of fat and sliced (with bones is better for the flavour)
220g onions (ideally a massive Spanish onion as it saves peeling time!)
2 medium potatoes, ideally a floury type, scrubbed and sliced into rings
1 medium quince/tart eating apple (eg cox’s pippin) washed, and sliced into thick rings (no need to core or peel)
6 large prunes, soaked overnight, drained, stoned and chopped (or use no-soak prunes)
1 level tsp turmeric
2 heaped tsp tomato puree
Juice of 1 small lemon, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 180C
Put a few pieces of the meat in an ovenproof casserole and cover with layers of onion, potato, quince, prunes and spices. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used up.
Dissolve tomato puree in 120ml cold water or leftover veg cooking water, then pour into the casserole.
Cover and cook in the oven until the meat and potatoes are tender. This takes 2 hours if using lamb gigot/fillet. If using unsoaked prunes double the quantity of water in the dish and check every ½ hour to ensure it does not dry out and burn (I found this out by experience!).
Hand around the lemon juice at the table to be added to taste.
Serve with one of these:
A large green salad
Steamed frozen peas
Steamed broccoli or (even better) purple sprouting broccoli
Baby spinach leaves and halved cherry tomatoes drizzled with virgin olive oil
Variations:
Use trimmed organic sirloin steak (takes about an hour but be aware quince takes much longer to cook than an hour so use the apple with this instead) or round steak (takes about 2 hours) instead of the lamb.
Why this recipe is good for you: Powerful antioxidants for health come from the tomato puree (lycopene) and turmeric (curcumin) in this dish. Onions, quince and apples are a great source of soluble fibre to feed beneficial gut bacteria. Meat cooked on the bone releases collageneous substances into the liquid that help nourish and heal the lining of your digestive system. Yes, home made chicken soup and other bone-based broth soups really are good for you. Lamb is a more natural meat exposed to fewer intensive farming practices than some other meats so if you can’t buy organic read meat, its a good choice.
Now the autumn chills are setting in this is a lovely slow-cooked recipe to warm you up. It’s richly-flavoured but really mild. It’s ideal if you are cooking one meal to please meat eaters and people who want to eat less meat at the same time. People can avoid the meat part of the dish and bulk up on extra chickpeas and vegetables and have some delicious fluffy cooked millet grains on the side. Using meat on the bone makes this really flavourful. I usually serve this with some sort of steamed green vegetable (like green beans or dark green cabbage) or a green salad. To stretch things out a bit and save money adding cooked millet to soak up the juices is a winner. If you are new to super-nutritious and super-inexpensive millet, check out my post on how to cook ithttps://annacollins.ie/how-to-cook-millet-i-cant-believe-its-not-couscous/
For 2:
2 mugs (around 450ml) of leftover veg or chickpea cooking water, or plain filtered water
300g small onions or large shallots (large onions will do if you cant get small ones)
1 mug home-cooked chickpeas (reserve the liquid) or a 400g can of chickpeas
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly quartered or sliced
½ a medium size preserved lemon*, deseeded and roughly cut up into 8 pieces – at a pinch you could use ½ a fresh lemon (skin and pith only). Buy ready-made, or use the easy recipe below and leave to mature for at least 2 weeks before using.
2 chicken breasts on the bone or chicken legs (organic if possible)
1 heaped teaspoon ras el hanout*(see simple recipe below, or buy ready-made) For unusual ingredients see “larder & shopping” section of this blog
1. Put a heavy bottomed saucepan or cast iron pot on a medium heat to warm with the 2 mugfuls of stock or water. Put the chicken legs or breasts at the bottom of the pot. Peel and add the onions, ras al hanout, chickpeas, preserved lemon and garlic. Put the lid on, give everything a gentle shake to mix everything up. You want the water to almost cover everything.
2. Simmer gently for 1½ to 2 hours (stirring occasionally to coat everything in the liquid and spices) until the onions are translucent and the chicken is falling off the bone.
Money-saving health-boosting tip:
Serve this with cooked millet. Cooked millet wholegrains are a healthy replacement for couscous, but very similar in appearance and texture. For instructions on how to cook, click the “grains” section in the tag cloud on the left of this blog, or search for “how to cook millet” in the search box.
How to make ras el hanout
Traditionally, ras el hanout contained a blend of 40 different spices. This streamlined version includes many of the main spices of the traditional mixture. Keep this mix in an airtight glass jar in a dark place to preserve the aromas for many months. If you like this spice mix, you will use it again and again as tagine stews are really simple to make. If you own a coffee or spice grinder, you can grind your own spices for extra flavour. Ras al hanout
Makes ½ a medium size jar of ras el hanout:
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions: Mix spices together. Store airtight in a dark place to preserve the potency of the spices.
How to make preserved Lemons
These have a distinctive flavour its hard to replicate. These are easily made if you cant find a local Halal shop near you or don’t live near Fallon & Byrne. They take at least 2 weeks before they are ready and will keep for a year. I usually keep mine in the fridge but its not absolutely necessary. These take about 2 weeks to mature.
A carton of Atlantic sea salt or Himalayan (pink) salt
10 unwaxed lemons, organic if possible, scrubbed well
A large glass jar with lid
1. Standing a lemon on one end make a cut down the centre with a sharp knife until you have cut 2/3 of the way down.
2. Now turn the lemon upside down and rotate it 90 degrees. Make another cut at right angles to the original cut, also 2/3 of the way down the fruit.
3. Pack the slits with salt and place in the jar. Continue until the lemons are all packed tightly in the jar.
4. Over the next week or two you will see liquid coming out of the lemons. This is normal. When using a lemon for cooking you will need to discard the seeds and rinse off the salty liquid. After 2 weeks the lemons are ready to use.
Why this is good for you: Spices in the ras al hanout are a fantastic source of antioxidants to help your health. Spices help reduce inflammation in the digestive system. Research shows that spices also boost liver function and help keep your skin clear and young-looking. Traditionally, Moroccan dishes are cooked on a low flame for a long time. Modern, cheffy recipes telling you to brown the meat are neither as authentic nor as healthy as the traditional ways. Cooking foods at low temperature (stewing) rather than at high temperature (frying, roasting or grilling) is better because low temperatures produce far fewer damaging free radicals than high temperature cooking. Fewer free radicals and more antioxidants from the spices means slowing down the ageing process, reducing the risk of chronic or life-threatening disease, and helping your heart. Stewing meat on the bone releases substances into the food that help support collagen production. This helps your digestive system repair itself and also helps maintain good firm skin and bones in later life.
This is my recreation of a delicious little dish I once ate in a simple whitewashed cafe in Cadaques in Northern Spain. Washed down with a rustic red, it was heaven on a plate. If you want it to taste it at its most delicious slip each bean, once cooked, out of its leathery skin. The skins of large broad beans have a slightly bitter taste which most people don’t like. This is fiddly so do this when you have a bit of time, for a special meal, or at the weekend! If you are lucky enough to get baby broad beans (not much more than 1cm long), you can leave them in the skins as they are not bitter. This is the nicest eaten lukewarm, in my opinion. You can make it in advance but do allow it to come to room temperature before serving, or warm it very gently in a pan until lukewarm.
For 2 as a starter, with leftovers
1kg fresh broad beans in their pods OR 350g, frozen (see larder for stockists)
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh mint (or more, to taste)
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
A pinch of Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt (see larder)
Freshly ground black pepper
If you have fresh beans, pod them. If the beans are large, steam for around 5 minutes. If they are baby beans, steam for around 3. You want them to be softened but not overcooked.
Drain the beans, and as soon as they have cooled down enough to handle. Slip each bean out of its leathery skin and place in a bowl.
Drizzle on enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the beans generously, sprinkle on a pinch of salt, and a few good grinds of black pepper.
When the beans have cooled to lukewarm, add the mint (if you add it when hot, it will turn brown, which you don’t want). Taste, and adjust the amount of mint and seasoning. Eat a small portion as a starter, or a larger one as a main with a large mixed salad and maybe some cooked millet mixed with pesto.
Why this is good for you: Beans and pulses are a rich source of soluble fibre, which helps nourish healthy bacteria in the gut. These bacteria make butyric acid that repairs the bowel and helps prevent abnormal growths. They also are important for detoxification of hormones, chemicals, and naturally-produced toxins – all good news for skin, energy levels, and healthy digestion. Beans are also rich in magnesium which helps keep you relaxed as well as supports healthy bowel function. Mint has soothing, anti-spasmodic properties in the digestive system. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in vitamin E and health-enhancing polyphenols. The Italians always say that raw olive oil gives you smooth skin and they are right. Olive oil also helps weight management and delays the effects of ageing. If you have difficulty digesting beans then this is a sign that you may need to pep up your gallbladder function or address a possible imbalance of bacteria in the gut.
Use this dressing for salads, or to drizzle over steamed vegetables to liven them up. Its also great for knocking a cold or flu on the head. If you have some left over, store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge to avoid its delicate health-giving oils from being damaged. Keeps for a week in the fridge. Tamari is a naturally gluten-free soya sauce found in Asian shops and health stores, which also stock healthy cold-pressed (or “virgin”) nut and seed oils.
Basic dressing:
4 tbs extra virgin sesame, rape or sunflower oil
1 tbs (2 dsp) apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp tamari sauce (for SC diet substitute generous pinch Himalayan/sea salt)
1 dsp peeled, finely grated fresh root ginger
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste Optional extras (health + flavour boosters):
I finely chopped red chilli
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander
1 dessertspoon sesame seeds
1. Place the basic dressing ingredients in a screw top jar.
2. Add an optional extra if using, shake well and drizzle over salad, a grilled chicken/fish fillet or steamed veg.
Why this recipe is good for you: Extra virgin (cold-pressed) raw sesame, rape and sunflower oils are a great source of unrefined omega 6 fatty acids. These delicate and easily-damaged oils are essential for digestive health, skin and hormone balance as well as energy, weight management and immunity. Damaging, toxic, “-trans fats” are created when omega 6 oils are extracted from seeds/nuts at high temperature, when they are heat-treated for longer shelf life, or when they are fried. All non virgin (non cold-pressed) nut and seed oils contain toxic trans fats and belong in the bin. Beneficial omega 6 oils are found in (raw, unsalted) hazelnuts, peanuts, sunflower and ground sesame seeds. Ginger, garlic, Chinese 5 spice and chillies are high in antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory, immune-supporting effects. Keep your precious omega 6 oils airtight in the fridge, otherwise they’ll go rancid quickly. GOOD FOOD GOES OFF! Other healthy oils include extra virgin olive, coconut, avocado which are all monounsaturated oils. This means they are not so easily damaged and so you can heat/cook them.
This is a dressing I eat almost every single day to make my raw lunchtime salads delicious. Vary the herb and spice flavours according to your mood. It lasts in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for at least 2 weeks. If you use balsamic vinegar, the dressing will look a rich dark brown in the jar. Pure balsamic from wholefood outlets tends to be free from caramel and other toxic colourings or E numbers often found in discount supermarket brands.
For the basic dressing:
A screw top jar, about 450ml (a standard honey jar is this size)
Extra virgin olive oil
Pure no-added-sugar balsamic or apple cider vinegar (ideally organic)
Heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard (helps dressing mix well and is anti-inflammatory)
1 clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
A pinch of Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
Heaped tsp ground sumac or paprika
Optional extras for a health/flavour boost (choose one or two):
1 tsp sun dried tomato paste or black olive tapenade
Heaped tsp dried oregano, tarragon, basil or herbes de Provence
Teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Fill the jar 1/4 full with the vinegar, add the mustard and garlic, about 10 grinds of black pepper, and one of the optional extras.
Fill to near the top with the extra virgin olive oil, put the lid on and shake well.
Why this recipe is good for you: Herbs and spices are powerhouses for health. Weight for weight they contain many hundreds of times more antioxidants than fruit and vegetables. They are powerful modulators of gut bacteria, inflammation and enhance your immune system. Allergies, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and arthritis are all inflammatory conditions where your immune system loses control of itself. Even bone loss is affected by your antioxidant levels and your gut bacteria. Always keep dried herbs and spices in an airtight glass jar somewhere dark and ideally not right next to heat. Heat, oxygen and light degrade the powerful health benefits of herbs and spices. Eating a wide range of herbs and spices every week is a fantastic hack for getting and staying well.
Raw, cold-pressed (ie extra virgin) olive oil has high vitamin E to reduce inflammation. Vitamin E helps recycle (prolong) the effects of vitamin C in your body to lower inflammation, enhance immunity and optimise normal healing and repair.
I love the jewel-like colours of this super simple salad. The zingyness of the lemon juice and mustard contrasts beautifully with the earthiness of the beetroot. We had it on a bed of dressed green leaves and avocado yesterday in the garden for lunch, with the super simple butterbean salad I just posted. Because of the antioxidant power of the lemon juice, mustard, and olive oil, this salad keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge. do make sure to add the lemon juice dressing immediately after you have grated the carrot and beetroot, otherwise, they oxidize and go brown.
4 medium carrots, peeled or scraped
1-2 small raw beetroot, peeled
2 small spring onions or 1 tbsp chopped red onion
1 level tsp mustard, ideally Dijon, but English or wholegrain would do
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of Himalayan salt or Atlantic sea salt
Black pepper
Optional health boost: 2 tbsp chopped parsley
1. First make the dressing by mixing in a large bowl the mustard, juice, olive oil, salt, and 10 good grinds of black pepper. 2. Now slice the onion and grate the carrots and beetroot and add to the bowl. Mix well and serve with some green salad and whatever protein you are eating – lean meat, fish, eggs, beans/pulses.
Why this recipe is good for you: Beetroot is high in chromium and betaine, nutrients that help your body process the natural sugars in the beet. In processed sugar, where sugar beets are stripped of their nutrients, all you get is the sweetness, without the chromium and betaine your liver needs to get rid of it harmlessly. Carrots and beets, like all root veg, are high in carbs so take the place of potatoes or bread in a meal. Carrots are a great source of beta carotene. This helps liver function, gives your skin a golden glow, and is a powerful antioxidant, helping protect your skin and eyes from UV or age-related damage. Mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil are also rich in antioxidants that help you maintain beautiful, clear skin. Extra virgin olive oil is also rich in vitamin E, which moisturises your skin from within. Healthy skin does not need body moisturiser. Virgin olive oil, eaten raw, also aid long-term weight loss when added to your daily diet. Piperine in black pepper helps your digestive system absorb nutrient minerals.
This is something delicious I make when I’m in a hurry and need some good quality protein. It works well with a simple mixed salad on the side to make a balanced meal. You could also substitute it for potatoes alongside meat or white fish. I usually make lots so we can use the leftovers for packed lunches.
Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers)
1 heaped dsp sun-dried tomato pesto
One of the following fresh herbs if you have them, chopped:
Rosemary leaves: 1 tsp/oregano 1 tbs/parsley 1 tbs
2 dsp lemon juice
2 tins or mugs of cooked butter beans, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
Black pepper
Mix the lemon juice, pesto, garlic, and herbs together in a bowl.
Add butterbeans, a few good grinds of black pepper, and mix well. Taste and if you feel like it, add more lemon juice, pesto, or pepper.
Eat with a large mixed salad such as my “basic mixed salad”.
Why this recipe is good for you: Beans and pulses are rich in soluble fibre, a type of fibre that feeds friendly bacteria in your gut. Friendly bacteria are important for your immune system, helping regulate it and prevent allergies such as eczema and inflammatory diseases such as colitis. These good bacteria also help your body clear toxins. Toxins we are commonly exposed to include used-up hormones (eg estrogens, testosterone), old medications, and chemicals (eg toxic nitrites from processed meat, petrochemicals from toiletries, and petrol fumes). So if you want to have good detoxification, clear skin, and tune up your digestion, fostering your good gut bacteria is one of the keys. Rosemary, oregano, lemon juice, and garlic are also great helpers for the liver, also promoting fast efficient clearance of toxins.
This was one of my favorite breakfasts on a weekday when I didn’t have that much time and I didn’t have to be gluten-free. Now that I know I’m coeliac I use the gluten-free alternatives mentioned below. Cooking in the oven makes it handy, because (unlike grilling) you don’t have to watch it every minute. These Taifun brand sausages are vegan and contain 11% protein so are great for keeping you satisfied for longer. Check out my “larder” on the menu for where to buy these and other unusual foods. Make sure you get the “grill herb sausages” though, they are the nicest. These sausages are not gluten-free as they contain soya sauce and small amounts of oats (which can be contaminated with gluten grains). For the gluten-free option, see the Taifun Basil Tofu option below in the recipe. You could also eat this for a light lunch or dinner. All the Taifun products keep for ages in the fridge.
For 1 person:
1 tomato
1 medium courgette
2 Taifun grill herb sausages (these contain gluten, for gluten-free- slice 1/2 a block of Taifun Basil Tofu or Tofu Rosso into 3 thick slices instead)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
Put the sausages on a baking sheet in the oven and switch on to 170C (or 150C in a fan oven). Wash the courgette and tomato. Halve the tomato and slice the courgette lengthways – sliced 1/2-2/3 cm thick is just about right, I think.
Leave the sausages to cook in the heating-up oven for around 25-30 minutes while you shower or generally get ready for the day.
After 25 mins remove the baking sheet from the oven. The sausages or basil tofu should be swollen up and slightly coloured now. Add the courgette slices and tomato halves and pop into the oven for another 5 minutes. This way the veggies will be hot but not mushy. They will retain lots of nutrients this way.
Arrange everything on a plate, drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over the courgette slices, sprinkle the oregano over the tomatoes, and add a few good grinds of black pepper. Why this recipe is good for you: The oregano and tomatoes in this recipe are packed with antioxidants that help your health – by lowering inflammation, delaying ageing, and (in the case of oregano) inhibiting the growth of pathogenic (“bad”) organisms in the gut. Research suggests that unfermented soya products (eg soya milk, textured soya vegetable protein) are not likely to be helpful to health whereas traditional products that are fermented (fermented tofu, tempeh, miso, natto) have lots of evidence to support usefulness in adult hormonal health, especially in relation to breasts and prostate. Fermented soya products are an excellent source of high-quality protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you have autoimmune conditions though, you may need to avoid soya products.
