Category: Health & Wellbeing

Chewy Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies – Mark 2

Beware! This recipe is in danger of becoming a chain letter!

I saw the original recipe on boingghealth this morning and since I had all the ingredients, even the exact same brands, I knew we had to give them a try.

Besides, he threw down a gauntlet challenging us to come up with new variations on the theme and as everyone who knows the McGowans is aware, a gauntlet is always picked up! Besides, it was fate. Chocolate, banana and peanut butter. Love the combination, how could we not?

Since Kris had already used oats, I swapped for buckwheat flakes (also gluten-free) and bearing in mind his thoughts on not enough peanut butter, I doubled the amount.

Also, he used The Raw Chocolate Company Vanoffe Dark raw chocolate bar, but in the end I decided I couldn’t give mine up so we used their Pitch Dark instead.

So, Kris @boingghealth, I see your Mark – no, it should be Kris – 1 and I give you Mark Chris 2:

Ingredients

(all organic  vegan and gluten-free, you could swap the peanuts and peanut butter for almonds/almond butter and use whichever flavour of chocolate you prefer)

2 Medium Very Ripe Bananas (spotted skins)

1 Cup Buckwheat Flakes

3/4 Cup Ground Red Peanuts

2 Tbsps Palm Oil-free Peanut Butter (we use Meridian)

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt

1 Mini Bar The Raw Chocolate Company Pitch Dark Chocolate, broken up, either reserve some for drizzling or open another bar and who’s to notice if half gets diverted to your mouth?

 3 Pulsin’ Kitchen Cacao Butter Buttons (easier to use than a solid block)

Method

Oven 170C as we have a fan oven, Kris recommends 180C for normal oven.

Mash the bananas really well with a fork

Mix in all other ingredients except 4 squares (approx.) of chocolate and cacao butter dops – they are for melting and drizzling later.

Spoon onto baking tray covered in baking parchment, shape into cookies

Cook about 12 minutes until golden

Cool on a rack

 Melt chocolate and cacao butter buttons

Drizzle on cookies when cool.

Ours made 12.

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I reckon you could add dried fruit – raisins or chopped dried apricots – even coconut for other versions, but I’m going for beetroot next time, what do you think?

Pass it on, refer to the other versions and let’s see what you all come up with! 

Update: Just made some more of these and added 1/4  Cup Raisins & a sprinkling of cinnamon plus we used Vanoffe Dark this time. (It was a sacrifice,  but someone’s got to do it ;-))

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http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

http://www.meridianfoods.co.uk/

http://www.pulsin.co.uk

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Wroxeter – A Roman City on A Beautiful Summer’s Day.

Finally.

I have waited 30 years to see Wroxeter. Today, I finally made it.

On our first trip to look for a house when my husband was being transferred across country, I noticed one of those English Heritage signs saying Wroxeter Roman Ruins, or something like that. I made a mental note.

I love ruins. I love old churches, abbeys, castles. I love the ever-presence of past inhabitants. I love imagining their lives. I am overwhelmed by the fact that I am walking in their footsteps, I marvel at the magnificence and complexities of the buildings and wonder time after time how they managed it. In many instances, the architects didn’t even get to see their project finished.

We were among the first visitors to the Yorvik Viking Museum in York, when it was still an excavation site, and they allowed a few people at a time to walk along the viewing platform to watch them work. This experience sparked an historical interest in our children that they are passing on to their children. They love ruined castles. I have lost count of the number of shields and medieval weapons we’ve constructed over the years and the gory battles that have been reenacted. Such places are examples of living history which absorb children’s attention so they don’t realise they are learning while playing.

Ruins are generally situated in such beautiful settings that it can take your breath away. They are so peaceful. There’s no rush, you can just sit and contemplate for as long as you wish, and now that we are unaccompanied, that’s just what we did.

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Wroxeter – or Viriconium – was a first century AD Roman city in Shropshire, the fourth largest town in Roman Britain.  Watling Street (the long, straight Roman road that goes across England from south-east to north-west) cuts through the middle heading south. It is surrounded by fields of sheep, there is a Roman vineyard nearby, an Anglo-Saxon church and in the distance you can see Long Mynd in the Shropshire Hills.

Today was a rare (this summer) beautifully warm sunny day with clear blue skies. It was a day calling for an outing. I decided today was going to be the day. It has taken this long for my husband to get on board with my passion for historical sites. That’s why it’s taken so long. He has always hated wandering around anywhere on foot – but especially old buildings –  preferring to be speeding along on two wheels or puttering along in his Morris Minor. However, since he was forced off the bike by an accident and had to do walking therapy, he has become more amenable to my suggestions.

Here are some photos of the site.

(If you’re reading this via email, you’ll need to click onto the blog).

They show the main excavation of the large public baths, the market hall and forum – the tiled stacks in the middle supported the floors of the bathing rooms (at the end of the  bathing rooms there are the remains of the furnace that heated under the floors and walls of the baths – they had their own underfloor central heating!); the drainage ditch for the latrines; a baby housemartin in a nest in the eves of a blocked off farm building and several more nests below; the reconstructed Roman town house (built by 6 builders in 2010 for the TV programme ‘Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day’ using tools, materials and methods available in Roman times where possible); in front of it you can see the remains of the colonnade of the forum and behind it, the furnace that heated the bathing rooms. Oh, and a few sheep who seemed to be plotting their Great Escape ‘over here by the wire!’

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There’s a small museum and the inevitable gift shop on the site, and plenty of benches to perch and take in the stunning views.

I hope you enjoyed our rare day out. I loved every minute of it! Oh, and I have pink knees from the unaccustomed sun.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Food Matters’ ‘One Minute Slice’ Raw Chocolate Protein Bars

So excited about this recipe! I stumbled on it when looking at Organic Guinea Pig’s Facebook page* where he posted photos of himself trying out this Food Matters* recipe and it looked so good I had to try it.

These bars are full of energy and are such a healthy chocolatey treat that you can literally make in a minute. You just mix everything up in a bowl, spread it out in a baking tray and freeze. Done!

You can have them smooth or crunchy like these, depending on how fine or chunky you grind the cashews. Everyone who tried it loved it: kids, tweens, teens and oldies alike.

All ingredients are organic except the maple syrup which we substituted for the honey to make them vegan. The original recipe has Sultanas but we didn’t have any so used Raisins instead. A second batch had chopped almonds and goji berries in.

Vegan and gluten-free. All measurements are approximate.

Ingredients

 7 Tbsps Peanut Butter (but you could use any nut or seed butter, we used Meridian Organic & Palm Oil-free)
3 Tbsps Melted Coconut Oil
1-2 Tbsps Maple Syrup, depending how sweet you want it, 1 is enough for me
2 Tbsps The Raw Chocolate Company Cacao Powder *
Half Tsp Vanilla Extract

Combine all these in a bowl

then add

Half a Cup of Cashew Pieces (125g), chopped (or seeds)
Half a Cup of Sultanas or Raisins (125g) (Chopped Medjool Dates would probably work too).

Mix it all together well, you only need to give it a good stir, no need to get the mixer out.

Spread in a square baking tin and freeze for at least a couple of hours.

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Slice and eat.

(They melt really quickly, especially in summer weather, so don’t get them out of the freezer until you actually need them).

*https://www.facebook.com/OrganicGuineaPig/

*Food Matters Website – lots of healthy recipes

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Light & Summery Strawberry & Banana Smoothie

Finally, Summer has arrived up North and this is a lovely light summery smoothie, with healthy fats and protein, prebiotics and probiotics for a healthy gut and digestive system, dietary fibre, and lots of vitamins and minerals.

Do you know strawberries are not really fruit as their seeds are on the outside? They are bursting with nutrients, including Vitamin C, folate, B Vitamins, Vitamin K (needed for bone health), they are rich in powerful antioxidants and are thought to help prevent heart disease, cancer and inflammation. The leaves can also be eaten or made into tea.

Try to buy organic strawberries as this fruit is considered one of the ‘dirty dozen’, being one of the most sprayed fruits and retaining chemical residue.

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(Apologies for the smoothie photo, no natural light at all when I took it, the smoothie actually looked much lighter and slightly pink).

Ingredients

1 Small Banana

10 Strawberries, washed and hulled

Handful of Pumpkin Seeds

1 Heaped Tbsp Chufa de Valencia Tiger Nut Flour

1 Heaped Tbsp Golden Linseeds, partially ground

1 Medium Glass Rebel Kitchen Organic Raw Coconut Water

1 Heaped Tbsp CoYo Plain Coconut Yogurt

1 Tsp Juicemaster Wheatgrass Powder

Blend and add ice.

http://coyo.com/enuk/

Juice Master

Home-2016

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Here’s a short but energetic video by The Undertones – watch the keyboard ‘player!’

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Golden Linseeds (aka Flax Seeds): The Original Superfood?

The latest post in my mini-series Essential Vitamins and Minerals (see Menu).

imageI was asked if I would write a post about Golden Linseeds as I often use them in my recipes. They are the lighter coloured of the 3 versions of flax seeds – being a golden colour they are commonly known by that term.

They are one of my favourite things to add to smoothies, protein bars and energy balls, fruit and yogurt, muesli, gluten-free bread and so on. I’ll provide some recipe links later on.

A few facts first:

The flax plant grows easily, producing small pale blue flowers, and produces pods of seeds that have been consumed by humans for over 6000 years.

Organic are best, to avoid any potential toxicity, buy them whole rather than in powder form and grind them a little in a coffee grinder or nut and seed grinder, a jarful at a time, and keep it in the fridge. Don’t over do it or the heat will damage them and turn them rancid. Grinding releases the oils and makes the nutrients more accessible. (The most effective way to have them is soaked and sprouted, this removes phytic acid – present in nuts and seeds – which can bind to minerals in the body, and releases even more nutrients, but I haven’t tried this yet).

They have a pleasantly mild, slightly nutty, malty taste. I love them!

(To view the slideshow, click onto the blog).

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Linseeds are one of the most nutritious foods available, being rich in Protein (3 Tbsps = 6g), Fibre, B1, Manganese, Selenium, Vitamin E and especially the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA). They are the richest plant-based source of this essential fatty acid, so good for vegans and vegetarians.

In particular, they are one of the best sources of Magnesium, necessary for preventing muscle cramps, for lifting mood, restful sleep, and a healthy gut – see my post Magnesium: Are You Getting Enough? for further information about this essential mineral that many people are defficient in.

Linseeds are also a good source of B6, Iron, Potassium, Copper and Zinc as well as Folates, which help prevent neural tube defects in the foetus if consumed prior to conception and in early pregnancy.

The healthy oils in linseeds are beneficial for healthy skin, hair and nails – try adding 2 Tbsps of seeds or 1 Tbsp of flaxseed oil daily to smoothies to benefit.

1-2 Tbsps of flaxseed oil can help improve acne, eczema and roseacea as well as help reduce symptoms of dry eye syndrome.

 People with Crohn’s or other digestive problems often find some relief when consuming linseeds as they are anti-inflammatory and can reduce gut inflammation. They are also gluten-free.

The anti-inflammatory nature of linseeds is also thought to aid in weight loss. Try adding 2 Tbsp of ground linseeds daily to your diet. They help you feel full for longer and aid the elimination of waste, which otherwise is held onto by the body and causes inflammation.

Finally, linseeds are packed with anti-oxidants called lignans. They are anti-aging and hormone-balancing, can help reduce menopausal symptoms and reduce the risk of osteoporosis as well as help regulate menstruation. 1-2 Tbsps of seeds plus 1 Tbsp of oil daily are recommended. These anti-oxidants are also antiviral and antibacterial and can help reduce the number and severity of colds.

Oh, and Dr Axe* recommends 1-3 Tbsps of flax oil and 8oz of carrot juice for the relief of constipation!

I think that just about covers everything.

(Linseeds like chia seeds can be used as egg replacement in vegan cooking when mixed with water).

As with all similar high fibre foods (chia seeds, for example), be sure to drink plenty of water and other liquids.

We buy our golden linseeds from Buy Wholefoods Online and Suma Wholefoods

As promised here are some links for recipes containing these little specs of nutritional gold:

Omega-Rich Plum & Blueberry Smoothie

Camilla’s Homemade Crispbread

Dipped Naked Tiger Nut, Mango & Orange Treats

 *https://draxe.com/10-flax-seed-benefits-nutrition-facts/

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/flax-seed.html

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Omega-Rich Plum & Blueberry Smoothie

imageI devised this when I was writing a post on Golden Linseeds (see here) and I wanted a recipe to accompany it. Smoothies are a great way to ensure you get the essential fats contained in golden linseeds, along with all the other vitamins and minerals they provide.

Omega fatty acids are essential for brain and nerve health, but our bodies can’t produce Omega 3 or Omega 6, and a couple of tablespoons of linseeds in a smoothie will go a long way to fulfilling your body’s requirement.

Pumpkin seeds also provide Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids while cashews provide a trace amount.

Along with oats, cashews are a good source of magnesium, a mineral we all need but rarely get enough of.

Wheatgrass contains all the minerals known to man as well as protein, fibre, B Vitamins, Viamins A, C, E and K.

The seeds and nuts also add to the overall protein content of the smoothies. 

Plums are a good source of potassium and iron, while blueberries are another item on the list of so-called superfoods, which are anti-ageing, are believed to help prevent and improve age-related mental impairment, and are a source of Vitamin K which is necessary for bone health.

Vegan and Gluten-free, Organic except the maple syrup.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Gluten-free Oats

1 Medium Glass Rebel Kitchen Raw Organic Coconut Water

2 Tbsps Golden Linseeds, partially ground to make the nutrients more accessible

1 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

Small Handful of Cashew pieces

1 Tsp Wheatgrass Powder

A Handful of Blueberries

2 Ripe Plums, stoned and chopped

1 Medjool Date, pitted

1 Tsp Maple Syrup (optional)

 Blend and serve with ice or use chilled coconut water and frozenblueberries.

(If reading this via email, click onto the blog to see the video).

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Crunchy & Spicy Roasted Chickpea Nibbles

imageChickpeas are so good for you on so many levels: protein, calcium, iron, fibre, so many vitamins and minerals. We are used to putting them in casseroles or stews or making hummus with them, either as they are or sprouted.

But have you ever had them roasted? They make a great savoury or sweet snack that is healthy and satisfying.

We tried both oil-roasted and dry-roasted. We also tried seasoning before cooking and after.

Here’s the result.

Method

Set Fan Oven at 200C.

Take a can of chickpeas, strain and rinse well.

Dry between 2 clean tea towels, discard any skins that come off, don’t bother about the others.

Divide them between 2 baking tins or trays.

For the oil-roasted, melt a tablespoon of coconut oil and pour over half the chickpeas, which have been sprinkled with Pink Himalayan Salt. Turn them so they are all covered in oil.

For the dry-roasted (right), place them in a baking tin as they are.

Place trays in oven.

Now the timing is a bit weird.

All the recipes I looked at suggested 40-45 minutes.

The oiled ones were crisp and cooked in 20 minutes (turned halfway through) and about to get burned.

The dry-roasted ones were ready 5 minutes later!

My best advice is don’t go away and leave them. Turn or shake a couple of times and they’re ready when deep golden and crispy. Some people like them crisp on the outside with a little bite to the centre, others like them crunchy all the way through.

The oiled ones were left as they were, no extra seasoning.

 The dry-roasted ones were tipped into the dish I had melted the coconut oil in which was empty but still had a little smear on the surface. Salt and paprika were sprinkled into the dish and the dry-roasted chickpeas tipped in and mixed around.

Which did we prefer?

Both!

My husband couldn’t tell the difference and I thought the oil-cooked ones were a little oily but I liked the crunchiness.

Here they are side by side for comparison: can you tell which is which?

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The ones on the left are oil-roasted.

They are really filling, I couldn’t eat even a quarter of them, and make a great afternoon snack or sprinkles for salads or stir-fries. You can add chilli powder if you want them a little more spicy.

Some people like them sweet, tossed in maple syrup and cinnamon for instance.  I prefer savoury.

Hopefully, they’ll give you enough energy to take to those ‘Wide Open Spaces’. (If reading this via email, click onto the blog to see the Dixie Chicks video and be inspired!)

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan, Gluten-Free Plum Crumble – Nice, But Not Too Naughty!

You may remember in my previous post I was asked what I ate if I couldn’t have anything ‘naughty’ (see here). Well, that day, our neighbour gave us some plums from his garden and as our teenage friend was coming to visit again the next day – this time with his dad and dad’s partner – we decided to make a huge plum crumble. If you read the earlier post, you’ll understand why it had to be huge: teenage boy/growing/neverstopseating!

Here’s the recipe: no refined sugar, just a little maple syrup and a lot of natural flavour! Unfortunately, we didn’t weigh the plums, there were enough to fill a supermarket ice-cream box.

The topping can also be used for an apple or any other fruit crumble.

Ingredients

(Organic where possible, all quantities are approximate)

Plums, washed, stoned and cut in half

Cinnamon to taste

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

A Few Tbsps of Apple Juice, but don’t drown them

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Topping

4 oz Gluten-Free Oats – if you prefer a finer texture, grind the oats and buckwheat flakes into flour

2 oz Buckwheat Flakes

2 oz Almonds, finely ground

(You could replace the almonds with desiccated coconut for an alternative flavour)

Approx. 2 oz Raw Virgin Coconut Oil, gently melted over warm water

1-2 Tbsps Maple Syrup

If you want a little more sweetness, you could add a small handful of raisins, either to the plum base or to the crumble topping.

Method

Place the plums cut side up in an ovenproof dish

Add Apple Juice

Sprinkle with Cinnamon

Add Maple Syrup

To make the topping:

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together

Stir in the coconut oil and maple syrup (and raisins if using)

Mix together well with a round-bladed knife and then through your fingers to create the crumble effect

Cover the plums

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Place dish in oven at 170C for a Fan oven for about 40-45 minutes. Keep your eye on it, it needs to be golden, not dark brown!

Serve hot or cold with custard or plain yogurt, or Nana Rhys Cream with Mango, Cacao & Peanut Butter – the men had custard, I had CoYo plain coconut yogurt. I think it’s even better the next day when the crumble has soaked up some of plum juice.

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Makes enough for about 6 or 7 servings.

Our teenage friend gave it the thumbs up and had his two servings as per normal!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Nana Rhys Cream with Mango, Cacao & Peanut Butter

imageThis dessert is named after our 13 year old friend, Rhys, who has been visiting while his military dad is away ‘on manouevres’ (we all think he’s having a whale of a time in the sun, really).

Rhys is at that age when boys just sprout every other day and every time you look in the fridge, the contents have not-so-mysteriously evaporated!

So having restocked since he was here the other day, we decided on chilli, rice and salad for dinner, making extra of course (sorry, didn’t think to take a photo before it was hoovered up!) Rhys had too big platefuls, reneging on a third because I had promised home-made dairy-free nice-cream if he still had room. Foolishly, I was convinced this time we would fill him up! He looked up from his empty plate, smiling with the face of a choir boy and asked if he could still have dessert.

We played it by ear as always, guessing as to quantities amd allowing Rhys to ok the ingredients. At first, it came out a bit like a smoothie, then we added frozen mango, whizzed it up again and put it in the freezer for an hour, which thickened it up but didn’t freeze it solid. It was perfect.

Ingredients

(All organic except for the maple syrup)

3-4 Frozen Ripe Bananas, sliced, depending on size

1 1/2 Cups Frozen Mango Pieces

2 Cups Coconut Milk

3 Tbsps Raw Chocolate Company Cacao Powder

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Dsp Meridian Palm Oil-free, sugar-free Peanut Butter

Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt

 Blend on high until smooth, but don’t overdo it. Pour into a freezer-proof box and freeze about an hour. If it’s half and half after that time, pour into a bowl and stir a couple of times.

Serve with toppings of your choice.

We used:

Coarsely chopped Almonds, Grated Raw Chocolate Company Mint Chocolate bar, Organic Desiccated Coconut

There was too much to all fit in the freezer box, so each of the three of us had a small glass dish of the smoothie left over in the blender as a taster while we waited for the real McCoy! Rhys had 3 servings altogether.

I think it passed muster.

(Ps There are more Raw Chocolate Recipes here).

http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Go Nuts With This Raspberry & Red Peanut Smoothie!

I had a handful of raspberries, an over-ripe nectarine and a handful of coarsely ground organic red peanuts left over from making a chilli-burger (see recipe here), so as they had become friends in the fridge I thought they would get on well together in the blender!

Raspberries contain much more Vitamin C than oranges, are a good source of Vitamin K (important for bone health), anti-oxidants, iron and the anti-aging resveratrol. They are considered heart-healthy.

Peanuts have the highest protein content of all the nuts, while tiger nuts and shelled hemp seeds are also excellent sources of protein, fibre, calcium and many more vitamins and minerals. Wheatgrass powder is absolutely packed with nutrients.

Ingredients

(All organic, measurements as always are approximate) 

1/2 Ripe Banana

A Handful of Raspberries, washed

A Small Ripe Nectarine

A Handful of Coarsely Ground Organic Red Peanuts

A Glass of Tiger Nut Milk

2 Tbsps Shelled Hemp Seeds*

1 Tsp Wheatgrass Powder 

1 Medjool Date

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Save a raspberry to decorate

Blend and add ice, unless you’ve used frozen raspberries.

Find more Tiger Nut Recipes and Smoothie Recipes by clicking the links.

Here’s a clip from Peanuts to watch while you drink your smoothie, hope it starts your day with a smile! If you’re reading this via email  you’ll need to click onto the blog to watch.

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan