cooking with nothing

‘Carrot cake’ porridge

I love carrot cake. It’s my absolute favourite. The combination of spices, fruit and nuts is just perfect. One day I decided it’d be great to bring the flavours of carrot cake into my morning porridge, the bonus being I also add another vege into my day! Make it with buckwheat flakes if you’re on the hypoallergenic diet. 

Serves one

• 3/4 cup x rolled oats
• 1 cup x oat or rice milk (approximately)
• 1 x carrot, grated
• 1 tsp x grated ginger
• A sprinkling each of sultanas, walnuts and seeds of choice (I used linseeds and sunflower seeds)
• 1 tsp x cinnamon
• 1 tsp x honey to serve (optional)

To make the porridge easier to digest, soak the oats, sultanas, seeds and walnuts overnight. Rinse well, then add to a pot with the milk, carrot, ginger and cinnamon. Cook on a low heat until all the milk is absorbed to a creamy consistency, adding more milk if necessary. 

Serve with a drizzling of honey and extra milk if desired. 

Pumpkin gnocchi with rocket pesto

 

This is the perfect in-between season meal. It combines the warming goodness of wintry pumpkin with the freshness of a punchy pesto. Use flour from allowed grains and approved spices to make it hypoallergenic. 

Serves four 

• 1 kilo x pumpkin, cooked and mashed 
• 4 cups x flour 
• 1 tsp x allspice
• 2 tsp x cinnamon
• 1 x tsp x nutmeg
• 4 x garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp x cayenne pepper (optional)
• 4 TBSP x olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto

• A large handful of rocket leaves
• A small handful of basil 
• 1/2 x red onion
• 1 x lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup x toasted pine nuts
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Add the garlic and spices with half the olive oil and mix well. Slowly mix in the flour and knead until a smooth dough forms. If the mixture is too wet, add some more flour until smooth. Rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining the rocket, red onion, basil, lemon juice and pine nuts in a food processor. Blend while adding a steady stream of olive oil until the pesto is smooth but still a bit chunky. 

Tear off a handful of dough and roll it into a thin sausage. Cut into pieces about 3-cm long, then mark them with a fork.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling water until they float, then drain. Stir the pesto through the gnocchi until well covered. Season well, then serve. 

Almond, date and goji truffles

Here’s a recipe for a healthy truffle alternative. The dates provide the sweetness and bind it all together, while the goji berries add a super food into the mix. Use organic, unsweetened dried cranberries if you’re on the hypoallergenic diet. Enjoy! 

Makes about 10 truffles

• 100g x almonds (preferably skinless)
• 1/4 cup x goji berries
• 10 x dates, pitted
• A sprinkling of dried coconut (for rolling) 

Blend the almonds, dates and goji berries together until a chunky mixture forms. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball. They should be sticky enough to stay in shape easily. Roll in coconut to finish, then keep in the freezer until you serve them. Let them sit at room temperature for five or so minutes before serving, otherwise they’re a tad too hard. 

Beetroot hummus

Another seasonal vege put to great use! Beetroot hummus is such a fantastic colour, nice and healthy, and super tasty. I served mine on some toasted spelt bread with rocket and a drizzling of sesame oil. Bonus: the recipe is also hypoallergenic!

• 2 x beetroot, peeled and cooked until tender
• 1 cup x chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked until tender. Reserve the of the cooking liquid to add while blending
• 2 x garlic cloves
• 1 x tsp ground cumin
•  2 x TBSP tahini
• 1/2 x lemon, juiced
• Salt & pepper, to season
• Sesame or extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Put everything (except the oil) into a blender with a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Blend while slowly pouring in a steady stream of reserved chickpea water until a desired consistency is reached. I like my hummus a bit chunky… Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkling of cumin (if desired). 

Dal Kofta

This recipe is totally scrummy. I borrowed it from Jess@Wellness Warrior, who borrowed it from Trudy@Veggie Num Num. I’ve since passed it onto some of my colleagues and now to you all; it’s certainly doing the rounds! I’d save it for when you have a bit of time on your hands because although the recipe itself isn’t labour-intensive, there are a few points where you have to wait and a watched oven never cooks… The alternative is to make the balls in advance, as Trudy suggests, then quickly whip up the sauce and rice to serve.

It doesn’t take too much more effort to make it hypoallergenic if that’s what you need. Just make your own curry paste by blending a tablespoon each of ground cumin, coriander, turmeric with a few garlic cloves, some freshly grated ginger, a good handful of fresh coriander and olive oil and use a bread made from allowed grains. If making the curry below, just omit the offending ingredients (eg. use more coconut milk instead of the tomatoes); it’ll still taste delish!

Dal Kofta

Preparation time: 80 mins. Makes 25 Kofta Balls

•  1½ cups x split red lentils, rinsed (I’m on a soaking mission so left them in water overnight then used less water to cook them)
•  3 cups x vegetable stock or water
• 125g x raw cashew nuts
• 1 x brown onion, finely mined
• 1 cup x wholegrain breadcrumbs
• 3 tsp x madras curry paste
• 3 TBSP x sultanas/raisins (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F.

Bring the stock to boil in a good sized saucepan, add the lentils and allow to gently simmer for 25 minutes until lentils are soft and liquid absorbed. Set aside to cool.

Using a food processor, or by hand, process/grind the cashew nuts; don’t process them too fine, keep a little chunkiness to them.

Combine the cooled lentils with the cashew nuts, minced onion, breadcrumbs and curry paste. The mixture should come together nicely forming a mass. Add a little more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet or an egg (for non-vegan) or a little oil if the mixture is too dry.

Roll a tablespoon of mixture into a ball, placing a sultana/raisin in the middle of each kofta ball (if using).

Place the rolled kofta balls on lightly greased baking trays (the kofta can be made ahead and refrigerated; this can help to hold them together). Place the kofta balls into the preheated oven and cook for 40 minutes, check after 20 minutes and turn the kofta balls over to allow to cook evenly.

Once lightly golden remove from the oven and set aside. Kofta balls can be served as an appetizer with raita or prepared with a curry sauce as below.

Dal Kofta Curry

Preparation time: 30 mins. Serves 4.

• 25 x Dal Kofta Balls (prepared as above)
• 2 tbs x peanut oil (or coconut oil) 
• 1 tsp x mustard seeds
• 1 tsp x garam masala
• 1 tsp x cumin
• 1 tsp x ground coriander
• ½ tsp x paprika
• ¼ tsp x cayenne pepper
• 2 x garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp x freshly minced ginger
• 1½ cups x vegetable stock
• 1 cup x homemade roasted tomato paste (try this recipe) or a 400g (14oz) tin x chopped tomatoes
• 1 x lime
• 200ml x coconut milk
• fresh coriander
• cooked basmati rice, to serve

Heat the peanut oil in a good sized heavy-based frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and allow to heat in the pan for 30 seconds until they begin to pop. Add the powdered spices and fry over a low heat until they form a paste, add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a further minute.

Add the stock and tomato puree and bring to a gentle simmer, allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until reduced slightly. Gently add the roasted kofta balls and allow to cook for a further 3-4 minutes moving the kofta balls around carefully, they may begin to break-up a little but this adds to the texture and thickness of the curry sauce so don’t be too alarmed. Just be careful to cook them gently so they do stay mostly together.

Add the coconut milk a little at a time and continue to gently cook over a low heat. Add a good squeeze or two of lime juice and scatter with fresh torn coriander before serving.

To make the raita combine all ingredients together in a bowl adding cracked pepper to taste.

Serve with plenty of steamed basmati rice. 

Aubergine and soba noodles with nectarine dressing

Here’s this week’s seasonal meal using aubergine/eggplant. The recipe is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s soba noodles with aubergine and mango, but I decided to replace the mango with in-season nectarines and turn them into a dressing base since I can’t have the vinegar called for in the original. I also grilled instead of shallow fried the aubergines to cut down fat content. The result is quite delicious, vegan, and also gluten- and dairy-free! 

Serves 6

• 3 x nectarines, peeled and stoned 
• 1 TBSP x brown rice syrup (or honey)
• 1/2 tsp x salt
• 2 x garlic cloves
• 1 x red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp x sesame oil
• grated zest and juice of a lime
• 2 x aubergines, cut into half lengthwise and then into 1-cm-thick slices
• 250g x 100% buckwheat soba noodles
• 40g x basil leaves, chopped
• 40g x coriander, chopped
• 1/2 x red onion, very thinly sliced

First, put the aubergine into a colander and sprinkle with sea salt. Leave to sweat for about 15-20 minutes.

Next make the dressing. Put the nectarines, honey or brown rice syrup, lime juice and zest, chilli, garlic cloves, salt and sesame oil into a food processor and blitz until smooth. 

Heat a grill pan and cook the aubergine until charred on each side. 

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally. They should take 5-8 minutes to become tender but still retaining a bite. Drain and rinse well under running cold water. Shake off as much of the excess water as possible, then leave to dry on a tea towel. 

In a mixing bowl, toss the noodles with the dressing, aubergine, half of the herbs and the onion. You can now leave this aside for 1-2 hours. When ready to serve add the rest of the herbs and mix well, then pile on a plate or in a bowl. 

Green smoothies

In a bid to add more greens into my daily diet, I’ve joined the green smoothie bandwagon. Since I can’t have dairy, my concoctions are fruit and vege based, blitzed up with a bit of water, ice cubes or a dash of fresh juice. It’s best to get a higher veg to fruit ratio, especially if you snack on fruit later in the day. Otherwise, you’re starting off with a big hit of sugar which won’t sustain your energy levels as the day wears on. 

If you’re on the hypoallergenic diet, just stick to allowed fruits such as blue- and raspberries, papaya, mango and pear combined with any of your favourite greens. You can also add a tablespoon of tahini or almond butter for a healthy fat injection; this will keep you fuller for longer. You could also add a dash of honey if your combination isn’t quite sweet enough… 

Here are a few of my favourites so far. You’ll see I’ve been hooked on spinach as my source of greens, as I’m trying to maintain a good level of iron in my mostly vegetarian diet. You’ll find many other combos with this link. 

• Spinach, papaya and mixed berries
• Spinach, banana and blueberry
• Spinach, pear and goji berry
• Spinach, mango and raspberry or strawberry
• Any combination of the above! 

If you’re a fruit-only smoothie drinker, are you willing to try adding greens for extra nutrients? What are your favourite combinations? 

Working nine-to-five? How to still eat healthy!

Life can get pretty hectic these days. Working eight hours per day, sleeping eight hours per night (or trying to!), commuting to and from the office, shopping for food, cooking meals, staying fit, seeing friends and family… and that’s not even the half of it. With so much going on, it can be hard to stay balanced and when I get too busy it’s often the food and fitness that start to slip.

While on the hypoallergenic diet to cure my IBS, slipping was not an option. I got stuck in and committed to knowing exactly what was in every meal for at least six to eight weeks. A lot of my allowed foods could only be found at specialty stores, adding extra time to my shopping trips. I soon realised what a shame it is that food preparation traditions have gone out the window in this work-hard-play-hard day and age. Food shouldn’t be so stressful. It also shouldn’t be something to whack down your throat while you run from the office to a meeting. How can we change our eating habits and prioritise good-quality food? How can we say no to packaged, process meals when our lifestyles make it so easy to opt for the alternative? The answer is, because it’s worth it. Carina Norris wasn’t wrong when she wrote You Are What You Eat. If we eat crap, we feel like crap, and yet we still try and cram our days fill of activities. If we have more energy, we can fit even more into our happy, healthy days, can we not??!

Here are a few tips I picked up along the way that help make good eating a priority:

Plan a menu

 Yes, of course this would be the first, obvious tip, but I don’t know many people who plan out their meals for the week. I like to think of one meal I specifically want to have that week, work out what’s in that, then see if I can reuse some of the ingredients in the other meals. That way, I buy less at the market and have less chance of wasting any food. I also never throw out any food unless I really have to. If something is on its last legs (not that I let it get that bad!) I’ll transform it into something delicious! Try using an online recipe finder – such as this one from HFG – that lets you search by a meal’s main ingredient and pick the one that needs the least additions.

There are plenty more benefits of forward meal planning. You’ll have more than enough time to pre-soak any beans or grains you might need, and  if you add your social commitments into the schedule, you’ll know when you’ll have more time to prepare things and when you might need to whip up something fast, like a stirfry. Remember it probably takes longer to order and wait for many fast food items than it does to make a quick, healthy dish!

Stock your pantry

Fill up your cupboards with staples such as legumes, nuts, seeds, cans of tomatoes and coconut milk, spices and grains and keep some organic frozen veges (such as spinach and beans) in your freezer. Even with just these few basics you could make a lentil and spinach curry on rice. Voila!

BYO snacks

We all know you’re more likely to grab something on the go if you’re hungry. Be prepared for those in-between times with healthy home baking (such as this delicious cake), nuts and seeds, fruit, hummus and fresh vege sticks, home-popped popcorn, rice crackers and nut butter… the list goes on! Keep some of these items at work, in your handbag (or manbag…), car, or wherever you might need them.

Make double and save your leftovers

I notice that if I serve dinner from a big pot on the table it’ll usually all get gobbled up, even if there’s more than enough food. Instead, I often make double quantities and immediately spoon the spare servings into freezer-ready containers as I’m dishing up that night’s meal. I can either take them for tomorrow’s lunch or pop them in the freezer for an emergency. Some meals – like soups, curries, chillies etc. – freeze better than others.  

Eat for energy

Wholegrains will keep you fuller for longer, making it less likely you’ll turn to processed food for a hunger fix. Start the day with something filling and nutritious, like organic porridge, and include lean proteins and unsaturated fats in your lunches and dinners.

Share the load (if you can!)

Find a friend who wants to swap a cooking night every now and then; you cook a healthy meal one week, then they take a turn. Or share out the shopping/cooking roles with someone else in your household. Try and make it fun, rather than a chore!

Do you struggle to find time to cook healthy meals? Any tips for how to get by? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

The soaking story

    

When I set out to cure myself of IBS, I had no clue just how much I’d end up learning about food. I thought it’d be a case of ‘Aha! I should avoid (enter random food group here)’ but it’s been a rollercoaster journey of trial, error and realisation.

The human body is a complex thing. I’ve always been a relatively healthy person (who does enjoy the occasional treat) but some of us are just not geared up to process everything that’s available on the market today, most of which – I’m sad to say – can hardly even be classed as food anymore.

For me, the first step was switching to a diet based on whole foods with no additives (excluding many problematic foods such as wheat). While this has helped a lot, and I discovered an intolerance for vinegar, dairy and high animal fats, I’m still tackling the last little devils that make daily life difficult. My stomach still dances around at night with plenty of un-ladylike trapped gas and there are a few other nasties lurking about when it’s clear they’re unwelcome!

I’m taking a few homeopathic remedies to help cross the border into problem-free stomach-hood but I also stumbled across a number of articles about how to utilise some of the healthy, whole foods I’ve been indulging in. Have I been preparing my food all wrong? I knew to soak beans overnight, but never bothered to check exactly how to do it. What temperature should the water be? Should you add anything to it? Should you keep them on the bench or in the fridge? I also never bothered to pre-soak my oats unless I was making bircher, nor my amaranth, buckwheat or any other grain for that matter. And nuts or seeds? Nope, never soaked those either.

It’s something I’m definitely willing to try as, from what I can tell by reading the articles, it makes these whole foods far easier to digest. That’s enough to sell me, even if it does add even more hours to my food prep time! To make things simpler, here’s a list of soaking and sprouting times for common nuts, grains and legumes. I’m yet to answer all the details about water temperature and all that jazz, so if anyone has tales of what’s worked for them, please let me know! 

Hypoallergenic artichokes with garlic and parsley

I wrote a recent post about trying to eat seasonally and this week, I decided to tackle a vege I’ve been avoiding cooking with: the artichoke. Maybe it’s the spiky, hedgehog-like appearance that makes me feel like the artichoke is protecting itself from prey (i.e. me). In fact, I only tried my first whole one a few months ago, with a friend coaching me through the whole ‘eat it leaf by leaf until you get to the heart’ process.

So, here’s the recipe (which also happens to be hypoallergenic!) courtesy of Cuisine magazine. It was delicious and perfect to share with a spread of nibbles.

Serves 6 as a starter

• 1 x lemon, sliced
  
• 3 x large globe artichokes
• 1 cup x flat-leaf parsley
• 2 x garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tsp x sea salt
• 3 x TBSP extra virgin olive oil

Place the lemon slices in a bowl of cold water. Cut the stalks off the artichokes and, if the leaves are spiky, cut off the tips with scissors. Immediately immerse the artichokes, once trimmed, in the lemon water. This prevents them from turning brown.

Place the parsley, garlic and salt on a chopping board and chop very finely with a knife or an Italian mezzaluna (half-moon blade). Take the artichokes one at a time from the water, open the central leaves with your fingers to reveal the ‘heart’ and fill with some of the parsley stuffing.

Place the artichokes, facing upwards, in a saucepan that just holds them and drizzle the cores with oil. Fill the saucepan with cold water to halfway up the artichokes, cover then simmer on low.

Cooking time depends on the size and firmness of the vegetables. Allow at least 45 minutes. Check regularly that there is enough water, adding more if necessary.

The artichokes are ready when the outer leaves can be pulled off easily. Serve hot. Each diner pulls off a leaf at a time. To eat the outer leaves (these are the best!) scrape the flesh off with your teeth. The hard bits are discarded on the side of the plate. Once you reach the artichoke heart it can be cut with a knife and fork or eaten whole. Save the artichoke water – it makes great stock for risotto.

I’ve taken the advice and saved the artichoke water to make a mushroom spelt risotto for tonight’s dinner. Results will be posted later this week!