Monica

What’s for breakfast?

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breakfast-blog-appleaday

Cereals have been around longer than you may think.  Back in the late 1800s they started life as healthy breakfast options, however by 1939 sugars and sweetening agents were added, and health took second place to what gradually became a hugely marketable industry.

By the 50s the likes of Mr Kellogg set the norm that cereals should be our first meal of the day.  Sundays may have been cereal-free zones for some, but in the main, the daily choices to ‘break your night’s fast’, had names like Cocoa Pops, Cheerios, Rice Crispies, Sugar pops and Shreddies, with most of them loaded with sugar and very few health-giving nutrients.

In the early 1900s the Swiss joined the American cereal craze and brought out muesli, a healthy mix of rolled oats, dried fruit and nuts which gained huge popularity in the 1960s, and currently sits at the top of preferred cereals in Europe.

So why are cereals so popular?

Initially, back in the late 1880s, they were a novelty but still an unknown territory, and the taste was pretty bland.  Once sugar and sweetening agents were added after 1939, that was it, the world was hooked because both gluten and sugar are highly addictive.  Plus they were, and remain, a quick food option.  Take the cereal out of the packet, add milk or juice, and voila, breakfast is served.

The trouble is, most commercial cereals are low in nutrients and fibre – don’t have much substance to them – and the brief spike of energy from the hidden, or blatantly added, sugars crashes your system about an hour later, and you’re hungry all over again.  Time for a second breakfast – and more sugary calories.

Then there’s the gluten component.  Grains just ain’t what they used to be.  We’ve pfaffed around with new varieties and changed old ones  too much for our own good, increasing the yield perhaps but also increasing the gluten component – making them more shelf-friendly, but often less gut friendly.

Another reason for cereal’s popularity is that we are living in a fast-paced western world.  Despite the apparent awareness (T.V., written articles, books, various movements) on the Worth of Real Food, and the Rise of Disease, owing to the current rubbish modern diet, the majority of the western world still yearns for something easy and packaged.  Fast options to match the fast-pace of life.  My cooking-from-scratch would be too old hat for most, and even though there’s a range of wonderful movements on the rise, eg. Cooking from Scratch, Mindful Eating, Slow Cooking… or just Slow, there’s still a huge part of the western world living in the fast, and even faster, lane.  There resides a whole other issue for chat another day 🙂

With gluten now in the limelight as a potential intolerance food,  part of my nutrition recommendations for patients with gut dysbiosis, will often include a gluten exclusion period of 1-2 weeks.  A short week or two of leaving out gluten in order to find out how the person feels.   Makes sense, but wow, the reaction to this suggestion can be spectacular.

‘But WHAT will I eat for breakfast!!!?’ Confused, devastated expression.

Yes, I do agree that the move from cereal, or toast, to no-cereal and no-toast is not easy.  But there really are some delicious options.

So here we go.  Some suggestions for anyone who says they don’t know what to eat for breakfast other than muesli, corn flakes, cheerios or toast.

If you’re a lover of eggs, how about  a poached or softly boiled egg on a bed of greens.  The greens replace the toast!  Try fresh rocket or shredded spinach or kale – cook them lightly in broth or coconut oil and add spices of your choice, if you prefer cooked to raw.
For added interest and taste, sprinkle a mix of lightly toasted seeds on top, or add some cubes of avocado.  If you haven’t overcooked your softly boiled or poached egg, the yolk will break and give you the ‘dressing’ on your bed of greens (then add some freshly ground pepper or turmeric).
This is a great protein breakfast with a wide selection of vitamins and minerals from all those greens.  Plus it’s tasty and easy.

Second suggestion:  Same as above but use half a large tomato instead of the greens.  The tomato replaces the toast!

Or how about a thick, nourishing juice?  This may be in the too-hard basket for many, but once you have your new mini blender or juicer, you won’t look back.  Instructions and recipes abound,  and there are loads of affordable ones on the market (my youngest at college just bought a blender for £15).  Adding ground flaxseeds or chia seeds – protein –  will bulk up the juice and satiate you.  And remember, keep vegetables as the main ingredient rather than fruit.

Saying that, there’s nothing like a plate of exotic fruit when you’re on holidays.  Papaya is one of those remarkable fruits with high concentrations of excellent anti oxidants; high in vitamin C and B vits as well as minerals, plus the enzyme papain which has anti- inflammatory properties – great if you’re suffering allergies, or digestive problems – IF, however, you tolerate exotic fruits.
Do add nuts to your fruit platter so that you’re having protein with your meal and slowing down the sugar hit from the fructose/glucose in the fruit.

If, like me, you love chai lattes try the real deal rather than the powdered mix offered by many high street coffee shops – nothing tea-like about them, just a huge sugar hit and all sorts of strange things in the powder.  Mix all the whole chai spices (cardamom, ginger, allspice, cinnamon or just the ones you like) with a green tea – another immune booster – or a peppermint/green tea – even more interesting – and add the brew to some hot coconut or almond milk.

What other breakfast options are there?  The range is inexhaustible because who says that breakfast has to include fruit or eggs, tomatoes or for that matter, toast or cereal?!

This week I’ve been eating chicken/veg broth every morning for breakfast.  I have tailor-made my breakfast to suit what’s going on in my life, namely an infection which moved from drippy cold to heavy chest cough on the plane somewhere over Dubai.

Chicken-veg broth is nutrient-dense and easily digestible.  It’s proving to be a wonderfully nourishing start to my day…even my voice returns for a brief visit after the morning hot comforting bowl.
And what benefits am I reaping from my slow-cooked chicken broth?
Firstly, loads of minerals in a form that my body can easily absorb – minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and sulphur, which are needed for every system in my body to function well.  The broth also contains collagen, proline, glycine and glutamine – with glutamine and collagen being real gems as they have immune-boosting properties and soothe the digestive tract’s lining.  Broth has become a real benefit to clients with digestive disorders, whether we’re talking Crohn’s, IBS, UC or leaky gut.  And considering the link between auto immune diseases and gut dysbiosis, bone broth should be part of the menu for anyone with an auto immune condition.

There is nothing wrong in making up your own breakfast.  A bowl of soup, or some steamed vegetables, or brown rice and avocado with nuts perhaps?

Some useful tips, however, to ensure your breakfast will sustain you longer than an hour might be:

Add a protein source to your breakfast in order to fill you up, slow down any blood glucose hit,  and drip-feed your energy levels throughout the morning.  This protein could be eggs, chicken, goat’s cheese, plain yoghurt, nuts, seeds or cooked pulses.

Secondly, try to add some vegetables to your breakfast plate.  Our bodies just can’t be alkaline enough in this acid-food western world.

Finally,  eat to enjoy!  My soup has become a real comfort this week – definitely food for the soul.  Hope you make yours the same 🙂

Real tomato ketchup

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tomato_ketchup_recipe-healthy-eating

Tomato ketchup and roasted spicy nuts have been this year’s Christmas home-made yummies to give to friends.  The ketchup is easy and delicious – add more chilli if you like yours to have a real kick.

For approx 3 bottles

3kg tomatoes
1 red pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red onions, finely chopped
50ml apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sharp paprika
a pinch cayenne
3 tsp ginger, freshly grated
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp coriander seeds

 

Method:
Halve and de-seed the pepper then cut it, and the tomatoes, into chunks.  Combine both in a pot with the finely chopped onions and garlic and some water.
Leave to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water if it’s too thick at this early stage. Remove from the stove and blend until smooth.  Add the vinegar and spices and simmer for another 1.5 – 2 hours, until it thickens.
Do a taste test and add seasoning if required, then pour into sterilized jars.
Seal and turn upside down until cooled. The ketchup will keep, unopened for about a year. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.

Roasted savoury nuts

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roasted-nuts-and-seeds-recipe

All about nuts and seeds at the moment.  I’ve just posted more about them here on the blog and  Appleaday facebook page because I seem to have spent weeks roasting different combinations for presents.
This recipe is such an easy and delicious addition to the festive season and they will store for a couple of weeks in airtight containers… if you’re very good at self-control.

Ingredients:

100 g cashew nuts
100 g macadamias
50 g brazil nuts
50 g almonds
100 g pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
25g butter
1 generous tbsp thyme or chestnut or dark honey (ideally manuka…but too expensive at the mo)
about 4 small sprigs rosemary and thyme, leaves removed, finely chopped
sea salt, freshly ground pepper
pinch or three of cayenne or chilli powder

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade and arrange the nuts on a sheet of baking paper.  Bake until golden and crunchy, c. 15-20 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the honey and 3 tbsp water until dissolved.  Remove from the heat and stir in the spices, butter and salt.

Quickly fold in the nuts and transfer them back to the baking sheet and spread them out as much as possible so they’re not touching (they’ll clump otherwise due to the honey).

Bake for another 5 or so minutes in the oven until a lovely caramel colour, then remove and allow to fully cool.

Nuts and seeds: health-giving zinc in pumpkin seeds

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roasted-nuts-n-seeds-

Nuts and seeds are health-giving bombshells.  They are not just sources of protein, fibre and healthy fats, but also vitamins, minerals and a host of phytonutrients which have some extraordinarily specific health benefits.     Provided the soils where nuts/seeds grow are not depleted, or overworked, they will also give you minerals such as manganese, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, phosphorous….all of which play vital roles in every single system in your body.

So many benefits to be found in such small packages.
Today’s blog is looking at just ONE mineral in ONE type of seed  –  so imagine how many health-giving goodies you will eat in a handful.

When I think of pumpkin seeds I think ‘zinc’ because even though this mineral is found in many nuts and seeds, it is particularly high in pumpkin seeds.  It’s a great anti oxidant mineral, and one which is often low in our body.  Nuts and seeds are an ideal healthy way of increasing these levels.

Zinc is involved in a huge number of enzymatic reactions in the body.  A bit like magnesium, this mineral seems to be required everywhere, all the time.  And because we can’t store it, we need to eat it on a daily basis.

Zinc’s largest claim to fame is probably its role in immune health:  increasing production of white blood cells, helping fight infection and wound healing plus increasing killer cells which we need to fight disease….or the common cold (zinc supplementation will help reduce your cold’s severity and duration).

Skin health would be another biggie to think about.  Zinc is THE skin mineral, regulating sebaceous gland secretions, compensating for dry – or oily – skin conditions, hence it would be beneficial for both acne and something like dermatitis.

Do you know zinc is vital for your ability to taste and smell?  If you’ve lost either of these, don’t fear the worst.  Testing zinc levels would be an important first step, as it’s required to produce an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, critical for the efficient functioning of your senses of taste and smell.

Another zinc benefit, crucial to male health, is the role it plays in sperm motility.  Anyone planning a family will ideally be taking at least three months to get their health in order, and good zinc levels, particularly for the future dad,  are vital.

All this is just a taster of zinc’s benefits, a mere page of information about one single mineral in one type of seed.
I’ve not touched upon pumpkin seed’s high magnesium, or tryptophan, or the wonderfully exotic cucurbitacin, let alone all the other seeds and nuts in these jars!

Another day…

Paleo, vegetarian, alkaline…what diet to choose?

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different-diets

What should you eat to improve poor health? Or, simply, what should you eat to stay healthy? There are so many different diets out there at the moment, I thought it would be a good exercise to compare some of the most current eating regimes.

Paleo is definitely the diet of the moment!  Loads of cookbooks and paleo restaurants are popping up, however it has actually been gathering momentum since the 90s (as a healthier cousin to the Atkins diet).  Loren Cordain put Paleo on the map back then and is subsequently considered its official founder (You can find lots of information about this diet on his website – thepaleodiet.com).

So, what is Paleo about?  Basically it’s eating what our caveman ancestors ate and eschewing foods which have ‘evolved’ since the agricultural revolution.  The belief is that our digestions – and nutrient requirements – haven’t changed all that much since those caveman days.  Hence Paleo is based on meat (including bone broths and organ meat), fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts.  No dairy, no legumes (pulses) and no grains.  And, like all the eating regimes I’ll be mentioning,  no processed foods (the fact that there is no healthy diet plan to support processed foods says it all).

Paleo proponents say this way of eating is more satiating and a good blood sugar balancer, providing sustained energy and well being.

There are research papers which support Paleo, showing that for many people it improves a.o. their healthy gut bacteria ratio. Considering 70%-80% of our immune system is in our gut it’s understandable why this is certainly one reason Paleo is suggested for some immune challenged health conditions.
However there are also numerous papers which criticize this diet.  One obvious reason is the saturated animal fat content which has always been considered pro-inflammatory (just think of arteries and cardio vascular disease).   Another criticism  is the lack of fibre in the form of grains and pulses.

So, Paleo and Vegetarian?  Never the twain shall meet…or is there a way?

What is a Vegetarian Diet exactly?  Does it have some ‘paleo’, ie. eggs or cheese… or no animal products at all?
I see many vegetarians in clinic who eat less vegetables than a paleo diet follower.  Cheesy pizzas or strange processed non-meat meals often figure in their  vegetarian food plan.  Not healthy, in fact processed anything is not going to be a healthy option for meals.

If you’re thinking about Going Veggie, consider the following.  Ideally a Vegetarian Diet is high in the one food that is in its very name: vegetables.  Also fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses.
And certainly if you’re a lacto-ovo vegetarian, then it includes dairy and eggs.  If you want no animal products in your meals, then you are eating Vegan, and if you’re new to a Vegan Diet, you may want to have some guided advice as to where to obtain your macro and micro nutrients, as some will be compromised (notably B12 and iron…also low protein in general).

The Low FODMAPS diet, created in 2005 at Monash uni, Australia, is less well known perhaps to the public, however it is an important one in the world of nutrition.

FODMAPS is the acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols – yes, it’s a mouthful of words.  What’s being talked about here are the different types of carbohydrates which are hard to digest and become fermented by gut bacteria, causing problems such as bloating, flatulence, pain and so on.
Little wonder this is an eating regime which often works for those suffering IBS-type or IBD symptoms.  This diet however is restrictive, and it’s not meant to be a ‘forever’ eating plan.  It’s based on excluding high FODMAPs foods for a set period, say, 2-6 weeks, and then reintroducing them one by one in order to ascertain which one(s) may be the culprit.

The claim is, if you lower your FODMAPs, you’ll lower digestive problems, and yes, this works a lot of the time.  However, keep in mind that this is indeed a restrictive diet, with some great vegetables, fruit, pulses and grains being excluded due to their high FODMAPS.  For that reason, this diet, like the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), is best done under the guidance of a nutritional therapist.

DASH is another acronym diet.  Similar to the Mediterranean Diet, it is the eating plan or regime which won the 2014 best diets award on U.S. Health news.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and is based on high vegetable and fruit intake, lean poultry and fish, whole grains, and low-to-no artery-clogging red meats and sugars.  A healthy middle-of-the-road way of eating which would benefit many (apologies but can’t resist all the dashes!)

Acid and alkaline are words which crop up in the nutritional world. The Acid Alkaline Diet resembles a Vegetarian Diet in that it supports alkaline-forming foods such as vegetables, fruits, sprouted grains, pulses, nuts and soy products.
Red meat, which is acid-forming, is a no-go (as are the obvious acid-forming fizzy drinks, for that matter!  However these would be off any of the mentioned healthy diet options by dint of their high sugar/sweetener/additive/colouring content).

The theory regarding pH levels, is that having a more alkaline diet will lower overall body  inflammation and increase longevity.   pH is the measure of acids and alkalines in the body (the range is between 0 and 14), with acid-forming foods being linked to increased potential for inflammation and disease.

The acidic range is 0-7 (eg. vinegar is 2), and alkaline falls between 7 and 14.  Since all protein foods are acid-forming (to a greater and lesser extent, with red meat being a high acid-forming food), but very necessary to good health, this diet is based on 60%-80% alkaline, with the remaining 20%-40% being ‘acid’.   In this way, the Acid/Alkaline diet is more do-able.

The Raw Food diet is self-explanatory.  Raw foodism has its roots in the late 1800s when Maximilian Bircher-Benner discovered the benefits of raw apples for curing jaundice.
The reasoning behind Going Raw continues in this vein, namely that the nutrient levels in uncooked food will be higher and will provide more anti oxidants, more minerals and vitamins to achieve better health.
Raw food is not processed, microwaved, irradiated or genetically engineered.  Also it’s not exposed to herbicides or pesticides (which may be the hardest part of it these days).
Typically, about 80% is plant-based  – and never heated above 46 degrees C – with some raw foodies eating raw animal products like unpasteurized milk or cheese made from it, or raw fish (eg. sashimi).  The latter comes with its own set of potential problems as raw meats/fish can contain toxins.  Grains and raw dried organic legumes are also accepted plus cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and raw coconut oil…

As healthy as it may be for some, going raw does not suit a lot of digestive systems (and for that reason, juicing could be an option if you wanted to increase the amount of ‘raw’ in your life).
Going raw is also not the easiest food plan to follow – think about eating out or at friends’.  It can be very limiting although admittedly there is currently a huge raw food movement, with fun equipment and ‘accessories’ on the market – like spirilators and dehydrators – which are enabling the range of interesting foods to expand.
This very equipment, however, can be costly plus the processes time-consuming, so for these reasons as well, it will not suit everyone.

The Mediterranean Diet has been a popular way of eating for many years.  It resembles the DASH and Mayo Clinic Diet and is based on low red meat, low sugar and low saturated fats.  There isn’t really just one Med Diet since Italians eat differently to the French or Greeks or Spaniards.  However there are some common denominators in that the Med Diet focuses on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, olive oil, cheese, fish… and occasional red meat and wine with meals.  All quite broad, and hence a very do-able diet.  Certainly a good starting point for those who have never changed dietary patterns but wish to make a healthy and easy start.

So, after this little tour around some so-called healthy diets, do you have an answer to your digestive issues (IF you have issues?!)

If not, perhaps before you even think about which diet may help improve how you feel, you should first ensure that your digestive system is in good working order.  No amount of ‘healthy’ eating will work if there’s an unresolved digestive infection or an allergy or intolerance which is preventing proper digestion, absorption and regular elimination.
If this is ringing true in your mind then consider talking to a nutritional therapist like myself, or speak to your doctor for guidance.

There are so many other diets out there to share with you, from  the Macrobiotic diet to the Glycaemic-index diet to the Gluten-free…and more.
The bottom line is there is no right or wrong diet.
There will be a way of eating which will suit you and your health picture.  Possibly a mixture of some of the above.
In the end, it’s about finding the nutritious foods which you enjoy and which don’t cause discomfort.  Foods which will help you feel well and thrive.

Butternut chickpea casserole

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Butternut Chickpea casserole recipe

This is a combination of two old recipes which I tweaked yet again for appleaday’s recent online Detoxathon.  It was one of the dishes participants yummed about the most.  Such an easy one-pot dish, it has a wonderful selection of spices, including cinnamon, ginger, coriander, turmeric and saffron.Cinnamon must be one of my all time favourites, my ‘rescue’ spice for anyone trying to get off sugar cravings.  However, it not only improves insulin efficiency and regulates blood sugar, but it also acts as an antimicrobial (some studies showing it’s effective against the likes of H.pylori!), and the cinnamaldehyde component apparently blocks the release of inflammatory agents in our cells.  Perhaps this is one of the reasons research shows it can reduce inflammation linked with neurological disorders like Parkinsons and Alzheimers.
Research will continue, but this dish is staying as it is.

Serves 4-6

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, finely sliced
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
100g red lentils
1 x 400g can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
pinch of saffron
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 x 400g organic chopped tomatoes
400g butternut, peeled and cubed
800ml vegetable stock
handful of spinach, sliced
generous handful parsley, chopped
generous handful coriander, chopped

Method:

Heat the oil in a pot over a medium/low heat and add the onions and leek until they are transparent. Then comes the celery, garlic and spices (not saffron) until aromatic.
Next step, the saffron, lentils, cans of chickpeas and tomatoes. Stir well then add the chopped parsley and half of the coriander. Cook for about 10 minutes over a low heat.
Mix in the cubed butternut and stock and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked.  Turn the heat off, add the spinach and return the lid so that it wilts slightly but keeps its green goodness.
Add a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Serve with rice or quinoa and scatter the remaining coriander over the finished dish.

Environmental toxins: plastic

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plastics -on-beach

Not all plastic is created equal. We should be choosing plastic which is free of Bisphenol A, better known as BPA.

This is a chemical used to harden plastics, hence is found in a wide range of products such as coatings of food and drink cans, water bottles, baby bottles, dental fillings, dental and medical devices, DVDs, CDs, household electronics and sports equipment.

Worryingly, it’s also found in epoxy resins which are used as coatings inside food and drinks cans.

BPA was common in baby bottles, in sippy cups, baby formula cans and other products for babies and young children.

Thankfully, much controversy only a few years ago changed that. Now the six major companies in USA which make baby bottles and cups for infants have stopped using BPA in the products they sell there. Many manufacturers of infant formula have stopped using BPA in their cans as well. According to the U.S. Department of Health, toys generally don’t contain BPA.

BPA can behave in a similar way to oestrogen and other hormones in our bodies so it can act as an endocrine (=hormone) disruptor, namely a substance which can interfere with the production, secretion, transport, action, function and elimination of any and all of our natural hormones.

It can imitate our body’s own hormones in a way that can be very hazardous to our health.

Although public authorities set BPA safety levels, many experts think these levels should be reviewed, certainly after a number of recent studies were published in the States (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in USA) which found 95% of adult human urine samples and 93% of samples in children had bisphenol A (yikes!)

So what ARE the possible health effects of BPA ?

Obviously in view of the hormonal aspect, reproductive disorders figure high on the list. BPA exposure can affect egg maturation and be implicated in male impotence as well as changes in sex hormones in men.

Higher levels of urinary BPA are being linked to Type 2 Diabetes, CV disease and liver-enzyme abnormalities as well as to increased asthma rates, to brain fog and memory/learning problems.

Take a look at this link:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-379624/The-poison-lurking-plastic-water-bottle.html

Then this helpful link:   http://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-plastics-are-safe.html

…and then throw out those old soft plastic containers from the take-away.  Think twice about cling film (IF, then keep it away from the food in the bowl or dish) – and stock up on BPA free containers.

Eggs with chard or spinach

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chard_eggs-Recipe

This recipe was on my website a while back, but seems to have vanished, so due to request, here it is again – unfortunately the photo of mine steamed the camera (!) so here’s a spinach version (without tomatoes…but you get the drift 🙂

Chard is a great fibre source, plus it’s packed with vitamin C and is a good source of calcium, vitamin K, magnesium and vitamin A (beta-carotene).

The trick is not to overcook so it still has life and ‘green’ – have your eggs at hand.

We like a touch of spice in our foods. I’ve used harissa here, which is chilli/peppers based. Add a tablespoon or replace the harissa kick with a good addition of crushed garlic – or just eat as is.

(Serves 4)
2 small red onions, finely sliced
150g red chard, or 200g spinach leaves, cut into shreds, red stems and leaves
1 generous cup water – or Marigold stock broth
2 tbsp harissa – optional; or garlic if you prefer
4 chopped tomatoes (or ½ can organic tomatoes)
freshly ground pepper
4 organic eggs
8 basil leaves, roughly chopped

Method:

Add the finely sliced onions to a medium hot pan of hot broth/water and cook until soft.  Add the harissa – and/or garlic – plus and tomatoes, then add the chard, stirring well to mix with the onions and tomatoes.

As the chard begins to wilt and flatten have your spoon ready to make the 4 ‘nests’ for the eggs. There should be a generous bed of tomato/greens in your pan so that the eggs aren’t just being fried directly on the pan surface. I made quite deep nests, pushing the chard aside in order to cook my eggs on a layer of juice and chopped tomatoes. Cooking the eggs on top of the chard will take longer – and chard loses its charm when overcooked!

Once the eggs are cooked to your taste scatter the basil leaves over the top and add freshly ground pepper.

Use an egg slice to cut a square of tomato-greens with the egg in the centre – and that’s it, so easy.

Herb, apple and mushroom risotto

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Berlin_risotto-Recipe

This recipe was inspired by a risotto we ate recently in the Torstrasse, Berlin, in a restaurant called “Lava”.  Their risotto was intriguing – barely any rice in sight, it was hiding beneath a mound of delicious mixed greens and strips of what appeared to be carrot.  The orange carrot around the sides of the plate turned out to be fine strips of Mimolette.
This is a cheese traditionally produced in Lille but made in the tradition of dutch Edam, so if you can’t find Mimolette cheese, Edam will work well.  We used strips of soft Pecorino as that’s what we had in our kitchen!   For those giving dairy a wide berth, this risotto tastes delicious without the cheese.

I prefer cooking my risottos in a very large pan – that way I can see all the ingredients & add more colour if necessary.

Serves 2-4 depending on starter or main

250g arborio rice

1 large red onion, finely chopped

1 small leek, finely sliced

1 small bunch each of dill & basil;  1/4- 1/2 small bunch tarragon, all chopped

small handful of parsley, finely chopped

200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced or chopped to your taste (or any mushroom with a strong flavour)

3 generous handfuls of roughly chopped baby spinach

1 red chicory, sliced – a handful of rucola/rocket also works

2 garlic, crushed

1 granny smith apple, peeled and grated

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1.2 litres hot strong vegetable stock…more depending on how well you like it cooked

a generous dollop of light olive oil or coconut oil

optional: 25g finely sliced Edam cheese

Method:

In a large pan, gently fry the chopped onion in the oil until transparent; add the leek until softened, then the mushrooms. Stir to avoid ‘catching’.

Mix in the chopped herbs then add the arborio rice and coat well.

Add a ladle of the hot broth and wait until the rice mixture has absorbed the liquid.  Then continue adding the broth, a ladle at a time, stirring to avoid the mixture sticking to the pan.

The amount of stock may differ according to your taste – some prefer risotto ‘al dente’, others like it well cooked. If you need less liquid, well and good, however should you want to cook it longer, then just add a little extra broth or hot water.

When the risotto is almost done to your taste, add the garlic, grated apple, chopped greens and chicory and stir into the mix so the greens are just wilting.  Do a taste check; add a little sea salt or pepper if desired.

Serve as is, or decorate your plate with finely grated strips of Edam, then place the hot risotto on top.
Guten Appetit!

Turkish sweet potato savoury cake

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turkish-kibbeh-cake-recipe

We ate this delicious ‘cake’ – a giant Turkish kibbeh –  on a bed of rocket and watercress.  I tweaked the original recipe (from Salma Hage), using rice flour, slightly different spices – and more sweet potato  as we couldn’t taste it in the original.  Delicious served warm from the oven.

Serves 6

2 kg sweet potato
350g bulgur wheat soaked in water for 15-20 minutes
4 tbsp rice flour
1 red onion, roughly grated
250 g mozzarella, grated
120g well drained sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
½ tsp cayenne (or more it you like hot)
1 tsp sweet paprika
freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh basil, chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil for brushing and drizzling

 

Method:

Note:  After soaking the bulgur wheat, put in some  muslin and squeeze well so that all the liquid is removed.  A sieve is not enough!

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 6.  Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake until tender, about 45-60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool so you can handle it.  Cut in half, scoop out the flesh and put into a bowl together with the grated onion, all the spices and chopped herbs, flour, mozzarella, tomatoes and the drained bulgur wheat.
Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.
Brush a 30cm round cake pan with oil then line with baking paper.  Put the mixture in the prepared pan, pressing down firmly.  Score the top into 8 portions and make a 2cm hole in the centre (a clean index finger does the job!)
Drizzle with oil and bake for about an hour.
Cool before cutting – best served still warm from the oven.  Either enjoy a slice on a mixed bed of salad greens and herbs, or as an accompaniment to a larger mezze meal.