a commonsense approach to eating well, living well and travelling
Eating oats daily can lower bad cholesterol because of the soluble fibre, help control high blood pressure and maintain your blood glucose level, all the while making you feel fuller for longer. That’s not too bad for one of the cheapest and most versatile grains on the supermarket shelf. I sometimes wonder why we don’t call this a super food.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups rolled oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/3 cup of desiccated coconut
Did you know that the cultivation of millet dates back to 6000 years? The tiny golden grain has nearly 15% protein, B- complex vitamins, minerals like iron and magnesium. Interestingly millet used to be referred to as the grain of happiness and it contains tryptophan – an amino acid that affects appetite, mood and sleep! It is gluten free, alkaline, easily digestible and rich in fibre. Super food really!
I substitute millet in all recipes that call for couscous, because millet is packed with nutrients. Great for weekday lunch and if you use dairy free yoghurt for the sauce it will be completely plant based. In this recipe I use the florets only but please retain the tender leaves and stems for use in a stir fry.
INGREDIENTS
1 large broccoli, washed and cut into 2cm florets
1 x 400g tin of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup of hulled millet cooked as per instructions on packet
A generous handful of fresh coriander finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
Rind of one lemon
30ml lemon juice
30ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
YOGHURT SAUCE – 1 quantity
METHOD
Steam or microwave the broccoli for 2 to 3 minutes depending on the doneness required. Set aside to cool.
Once you cook the millet, remove to a large plate and allow to cool. If you leave in a bowl or saucepan to cool, the millet may all stick together and get clumpy.
Place millet in serving bowl. Mix in the broccoli and chick peas, the red chilli, the lemon rind, salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper along with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Taste for seasoning, toss the coriander leaves and serve with yoghurt sauce.
Serves 4.
This is a bean to the power of 2 or bean squared salad. Both names are a bit cheesy, hence bean and bean salad. This is a great working day lunch option and a power house of nutrients – my version is vegan and I love it this way but feel free to add a tin of tuna if you must.
INGREDIENTS
2 x 400 g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
400 grams of French beans or round beans cut into 5 centimetre pieces (I used frozen)
200 grams of sweet corn kernels (I used frozen)
1 red pepper diced into 1 cm squares
1 red onion chopped finely
This makes an excellent accompaniment to slightly spiced roast meats or a fish meal or as part of a vegetarian / vegan spread. Choose compact small head with slightly tender outer leaves.
INGREDIENTS
1 cauliflower about (500 grams)
80 grams cashew pieces (soaked for half an hour in hot water)
5 centimetres ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
A Buddha bowl is a vegetarian meal, served on a single bowl or high-rimmed plate, which consists of small portions of several foods, served cold. Buddha bowl is a wonderful concept and makes for a perfect meal on a hot day. In my Buddha bowl, I had brown rice, steamed cauliflower, zucchini ribbons seasoned with soy sauce and ginger, edamame beans, steamed bok choy. I seasoned with toasted black sesame seeds, togarashi, and my tahini, gochujang sauce. Recipe for the sauce is below. You can try any combinations of grains and vegetables and for protein element you can have tofu or tempeh. The sauce is versatile and you can use on sandwiches as well as with vegetables.
TAHINI – GOCHUJANG SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons tahini paste
2 tablespoons gochujang paste
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Rajma and rice is a very popular dish in India and each family would have their own version. Red kidney beans are little powerhouses of nutrition – they are low GI, high in fibre (the cholesterol lowering kind), complex carbohydrates and iron. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide high quality protein. So all the more reason to make rajma part of your repertoire.
INGREDIENTS
300 grams red kidney beans
7-8 centimetres ginger, divided
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
150 grams onions, peeled and chopped
200 grams tomatoes, chopped
1-2 bay leaves
Dhal or dal traditionally is made with toor dhal. Sometimes it is roasted and then cooked in the pressure cooker. This particular recipe is unusual in the sense that the dhal is made with urad dhal and most of the cooking is done while roasting with ghee. There is very little water used, most of the liquid needed is from tomatoes and onions. It is thick and delicious and is a satisfying plant based meal when served with brown rice.
INGREDIENTS
140 grams urad dhal, rinsed
100 grams moong dhal, rinsed
600 grams onions thinly sliced
80 grams ghee or clarified butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
80 grams ginger, peeled and finely chopped
INGREDIENTS
750 grams asparagus
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
20 snow peas
200 grams broad beans, frozen
450 grams shelled edamame beans, frozen
2 ripe avocados
1 garlic clove
5-6 small table radishes, cut in half lengthwise
Continue reading “SPRING VEGETABLES ON EDAMAME &AVOCADO MASH”
Celeriac is not available in all supermarkets and yes it is an ugly looking vegetables. Luckily I am too much of a curious cook to not dismiss something based on looks.
You can say it is the unsung hero of the vegetable world, knobbly and odd shaped. It has a celery flavour with a hint of lemon and is nutty. I came across celeriac when we were living in Budapest and during winter there was an abundance of this. Again another very versatile vegetable – try it roasted or in soups and it will be easy to see why it is popular. You can mix it in with potato to make a mash or on its own make a velvety, creamy puree to go with your seafood.
INGREDIENTS
450 grams celeriac
150 grams parsnip
½ cup freekah boiled in water and drained
Continue reading “CELERIAC LATKES WITH HERB SALAD AND TAHINI DRESSING”