Category: Healthy Cooking

Kale with Coconut, Ginger and Lime

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This delicious recipe uses flavours from Thailand, in whose cuisine coconut, ginger, and lime can often be found. Coconut milk helps increase the bioavailability of kale’s fat-soluble vitamins, while coconut’s sweetness and the brightness of the lime help eliminate kale’s natural bitterness. You could also use oat cream instead of coconut milk.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 5 minutes • COOK TIME: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 bunch kale, stemmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, stir, and cook about a minute. Add the kale and salt, and sauté for 3 minute or just until it turns an emerald green. Add the coconut milk/ oat cream and sauté continuously until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS: For some colour, add 1/2 cup of finely diced red or yellow bell pepper along with the kale. If you have Thai basil, garnish with 1 tablespoon, chopped, for a real Asian flare.

Adapted from The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson

Smoky Aubergine Salad with Pomegranate

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A smoky, rustic, super creamy aubergine dip/salad, loaded with flavour from tahini, Middle Eastern spices, garlic and a splash of lemon juice. Vegan, gluten free, dairy free and delicious!

Ingredients- yields 4 servings

    • 2 medium aubergines (about 1 3/4 lb. total)
    • 1/3 cup tahini
    • 1 small garlic clove, pressed
    • ½ medium chopped red and green pepper (optional for extra crunch)
    • Handful of chopped parsley (optional)
    • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • Sea salt
    • Pomegranate seeds (for serving)

Method

  1. Preheat your oven grill to full
  2. Cut aubergines length-ways in half and place on baking tray covered with baking parchment or grease proof paper.
  3. Put under grill for 30-60 mins until skins are hard and black.
  4. Remove from oven and let them cool.
  5. Scoop flesh out from skins with a spoon, and discard skins.
  6. Chop flesh and add all remaining ingredients.
  7. For best results make several hours or day in advance to let the flavours develop.

Kale with Japanese Dressing

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This flavourful dressing is easy to make and quickly transforms simple steamed kale or spinach into an irresistible dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1kg kale, tough ribs removed – spinach is also delicious
  • 60g toasted white sesame seeds (if you can’t find toasted seeds, you can buy raw sesame seeds and quickly toast them yourself)
  • 3 tablespoons Mirin (sweet sake for cooking)
  • 2 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • optional: 2 teaspoons Sweet Freedom syrup or Stevia
  • optional: if you are the type of person who happen to have dashi on hand, add a splash or two to the dressing

Method

Add a few tablespoons of water to a large frying pan, and in 2 batches, steam-fry the kale leaves for 2-4 minutes until greens are tender. You might want to put the lid on the pan to speed this up.  The age, size and heartiness of your kale will determine how long you’ll need to cook the leaves. (Keep in mind that spinach will need much less cooking.)

While the greens are cooling make your dressing. Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, blend toasted sesame seeds, Mirin, Tamari, rice vinegar, and Sweet Freedom/Stevia. It’s easier to achieve a creamier consistency using a food processor.

When the kale has cooled to room temp, grab half and squeeze between your hands to removed excess liquid. The cooked greens will stick together in a log-shaped clump after being squeezed together in your hands. Take that roll of greens and slice it into 1/2 inch wide strips then transfer chopped leaves to a mixing bowl.

Before dressing your salad, keep in mind that this recipe gives you a VERY generous amount dressing. You may only need to use as little as half the dressing.

 

Adapted from Yummy Suppers

 

Fish Curry With Tomatoes And Tamarind

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Use a sustainable white fish like hake and serve up this healthy, Indian spice-pot with green beans, cauliflower and brown rice.

Ingredients- Serves 4

  • 1 onion cut into quarters
  • 2 peeled garlic cloves
  • 2 cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 red chilli roughly chopped
  • A bunch of coriander, leaves separated from stems
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • a small handful curry leaves (optional)
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp  ground coriander
  • 1 tsp  ground cumin
  • 400g plum tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste
  • sustainable firm white fish (such as hake or pollack) 500g, skinned and cut into 4cm cubes

Method

Step 1 Blend the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and the coriander stems in a blender until it makes a paste. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the black mustard seeds and curry leaves until fragrant. Add the paste. Fry for 2 minutes then add the turmeric, coriander and cumin. Fry for 2 minutes more then add the tomatoes and the tamarind with 200ml of water an cook with lid on until the tomatoes start to break down.

Step 2 Stir in the fish, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until cooked. Serve with brown basmati rice, broccoli and green beans.

 

 

Adapted from From Olive magazine

Herbed Almond Orange Salmon Over Spinach

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This recipe packs a double dose of omega-3s, by combining salmon and almonds, and has the added brain boosting benefits of spinach. Cooking over low heat ensures a silky-textured salmon that’s never overcooked.

Ingredients- serves 4

  • 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each)
  • Zest and juice of 1 large juicy orange
  • 2/3 cup almonds, chopped or flaked
  • 4 tablespoons flat leaf parsley or dill, chopped finely
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chilli flakes to taste
  • 1-2 large bags spinach

Preparation

For The Salmon

  • Bring salmon to room temperature by leaving it out on the counter for approximately 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 135C. Cover a small dish which can hold the salmon and its juices and place onto an oven sheet pan.
  • Combine orange zest, orange juice, almonds, parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Put salmon fillets skin side down into the dish.
  • Drizzle/brush each fillet with about 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pan in oven and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Pat almond and orange mixture onto salmon, along with the herbs, and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes, until nuts are lightly toasted but not burned.
  • Salmon should be cooked through, although colour will remain vibrant and flesh will be soft.

For The Spinach

  • In the meantime, add the spinach to a pan/wok (don’t worry it will wilt to a tiny fraction of the volume it is when raw), add 1 tsp salt and 1-2 tablespoons of water (but not too much as the leaves will release water)
  • Cover with a lid and stir from time to time to get all the leaves evenly cooked
  • Drain thoroughly in a sieve, pushing down with a spoon to remove excess water
  • Return to pan and add 1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, chilli flakes to taste, a bit more salt if needed, and mix thoroughly
  • Cover to keep warm.

To Serve

Pile spinach onto each plate and then top with the salmon and its juices.

Adapted from Brain HQ

Quick & Tasty Chana Masala

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Brain Healthy Ingredients: Chickpeas, Onions, Mushrooms, Spinach, Tomatoes, Curry Powder

For fish or meat eaters you can always add some prawns, beef/lamb/chicken.

Ingredients- Serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium onions finely diced
  • 3 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp, or to taste, tandoori curry powder
  • 420 g mushrooms sliced
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas in water, drained and well-rinsed
  • 240 g baby spinach
  • 175 ml coconut milk
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and fry on a low to medium heat until the onions are golden, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes).
  2. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant- 2-4 mins.
  3. Add the curry powder and fry for a minute- make sure it doesn’t burn. If it starts to, add a tablespoon of water.
  4. Then add the mushrooms and fry until cooked through and any liquid evaporated.
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and salt and pepper, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes under a lid.
  6. Add the chickpeas and baby spinach and heat through for a few minutes until the leaves have wilted.
  7. Serve with brown rice

 

Adapted from FabFood4all

Greens & Broad Bean Shakshuka

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Broad beans (also known as fava beans) are packed full of fibre. They contain vitamins K, folate and B6, as well as zinc, copper, iron and magnesium. To save time you can buy them frozen.

  Ingredients  

   1 bunch asparagus spears

    200g sprouting broccoli

    2 tbsp olive oil

    2 spring onions, finely sliced

    2 tsp cumin seeds

    large pinch cayenne pepper, plus extra to serve                                                                                                                                                

    4 ripe tomatoes, chopped

    1 small pack parsley, finely chopped

    50g shelled peas

    50g podded broad beans

    4 large eggs

    50g pea shoots

    Greek yogurt to serve

Method

  1. Trim or snap the woody ends of the asparagus and finely slice the spears, leaving the tips and about 2cm at the top intact.
  2. Finely slice the broccoli in the same way, leaving the heads and about 2cm of stalk intact.
  3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the spring onions, sliced asparagus and sliced broccoli, and fry gently until the veg softens a little, then add the cumin seeds, cayenne, tomatoes (with their juices), parsley and plenty of seasoning, and stir.
  4. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 mins to make a base sauce, then add the asparagus spears, broccoli heads, peas and broad beans, cover again and cook for 2 mins.
  5. Make 4 dips in the mixture. Break an egg into each dip, arrange half the pea shoots around the eggs, season well, cover with a lid and cook until the egg whites are just set.
  6. Serve with the rest of the pea shoots, a spoonful of yogurt and sprinkle over another pinch of cayenne, if you like.

 

 

 

Courtesy of Good Food Magazine

Chilled Radish And Mint Soup

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Radishes are in season right now and they add a lovely punchy feel to meals. This is a really unusual and wonderfully refreshing summer soup that makes use of the radish leaves as well as the roots. Rocket or watercress can stand in for leafless radishes, don’t worry.  Although they are a root vegetable, they have very little of the starch of things like potatoes and other root veg, making them a great addition to a low GL, low carb diet that will keep your weight and energy levels balanced.

Serves 4 as a starter.

Ingredients

About 20 radishes and their leaves (or 20 radishes plus two good handfuls of rocket or watercress)

12 mint leaves, plus extra to serve

250ml vegetable stock, chilled

1 small dessert apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 tbsp creme fraiche

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Set aside two of the radishes. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, plunge in the radishes, their leaves (or the rocket or watercress) and the mint, cook for just a minute, then drain. Refresh immediately by plunging them into a bowl of cold water, or running them under the cold tap in a colander.

Put the blanched radishes, leaves and mint in a food processor with the stock, apple, creme fraiche, cayenne and some salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste, add more salt and pepper as needed, and chill.

Courtesy of River Cottage

Yummy Cauliflower Pizza Crust

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Here’s how to make a perfect cauliflower pizza crust, for a healthy and low-carb option. It seems that there are a lot of steps but there aren’t, it’s just to provide clarity. Time-saving tips included!

Ingredients- Serves 4

  • 2 pounds cauliflower cut into floret
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup soft goat cheese (chevre)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
  2. If using fresh cauliflower, steam it until very tender and can be pierced with a fork.
  3. If using frozen cauliflower, be sure to thaw it completely, then continue with the following steps.
  4. Pour the completely thawed, or freshly steamed, cauliflower into a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade. (You may have to do this in batches if you have a smaller food processor.)
  5. Process until a rice-like texture is created.
  6. Drain the “rice” thoroughly to get all the excess moisture out! A lot of extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.
  7. In a large bowl, mix up the squeezed-out “rice”, egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!
  8. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.)
  9. Keep the dough about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.
  10. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 200F, until dry and golden, but not burned. Use the parchment paper to flip the crust over, and bake again until the other side is nice and dry, about 10 to 15 more minutes.
  11. Add your favourite pizza toppings to the crust, such as tomato sauce, olives, anchovies, peppers, onions, chicken, cheese and then return the pizza to the 200ºC.  Bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Time-Saving Tip: Make a double-batch of cauliflower pizza crusts to make one for now, and save one for later. After baking the crusts, wrap up the extra pizza crust in foil, and FREEZE it for a quick “frozen pizza” to enjoy another night! All you need to do is add toppings and bake at 200ºC until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Slightly adapted from https://detoxinista.com

Celeriac Ribbons Tossed with Chard, Garlic & Pumpkin Seeds

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One of my favourite recipes, courtesy of BBC good food. It has fibre for a healthy digestive system, high amounts of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and lots of B vitamins to keep your energy up. Just serve with some chicken or fish for a healthy, balanced meal.

Ingredients

1 small celeriac, peeled

1 lemon, juiced

40g pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

15g butter

4 thyme sprigs, leaves removed

2 finely chopped cloves of garlic

½ tsp of dried chilli flakes

1 bunch of chard, leaves separated from stalks, stalks sliced and leaves shredded

Method

  1. Using a good vegetable peeler, cut long, wide strips (about the width of pappardelle) around the circumference of the celeriac, into a bowl of water and lemon juice, until you have lots of ribbons. Allow for more than you would if using pasta.
  2. Dry-fry the pumpkin seeds in a pan until they’ve puffed and popped. Set aside.
  3. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the celeriac for 1 min, drain and reserve the water. In a non-stick frying pan, heat the oil and butter until the butter has melted and foamed up. Add the thyme, garlic and chilli.
  4. Cook the garlic mixture for 5 mins until fragrant and almost golden, add the chard stalks and stir, cooking for a couple more mins. Add the pumpkin seeds and the chard leaves, season and squeeze in some lemon juice. Add the celeriac and a slosh of the cooking water and toss, shaking the pan until the sauce looks glossy. Divide between plates and serve.