Tag: Recipe

Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Sweetcorn, Walnut Slaw, Crisp Red Apple & Lemon Tahini Dressing

This is quite possibly the final salad photo I’ll be posting for a while – not that I stop eating salads as soon as Autumn appears, far from it, but I don’t think you’ll be wanting to read about them when the central heating’s on! (I realise of course some of you will be in the summer season, but no doubt you’ll be off to the beach for a barbie or spending your time in the pool or by the river, playing with children, partners or pets, or reading a book in the garden, so again won’t want to be reading about salads – no envy at all in those words, honest!)

I don’t eat mayonnaise which is often the default dressing for cole slaw, this one has a lemon and tahini dressing.

If you have a nut allergy and want to avoid the walnuts, you could use alternatives to give a bit of a crunch, perhaps roasted chickpeas – see Crunchy & Spicy Roasted Chickpea Nibbles

I love adding crisp or tart fruit to a green salad, sometimes red grapes, or slices of kiwi, this time slices of a crisp red apple. The fruit not only adds a contrasting flavour but also extra nutrients and can often tempt a child for instance to try a salad they would otherwise turn their noses up at.

There is protein in the walnuts, tahini, sweetcorn and leaves, while rocket (arugula) is believed to have cancer cell-inhibiting properties and along with spinach is rich in B vitamins, Vitamin K (essential for bone health), Vitamin C, and minerals.

Ingredients

Rocket (Arugula) and Spinach Leaves to line the plate, washed even if prepacked.

Thinly sliced Cucumber, washed and peel left on, layered on the leaves.

Sweetcorn arranged around the outside.

Slaw

Finely shred washed light green crisp Cabbage and Carrot into a bowl.

Finely chop a Spring Onion and add to the bowl.

Mix some Tahini with a little Lemon Juice, depending on your taste, and water to the desired consistency.

Mix into the slaw, reserving some to drizzle over the finished salad.

Add Walnut pieces, Pink Himalayan Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Place the slaw in the middle of the leaves.

Thinly slice the Apple and sprinkle with Lemon Juice.

Arrange around the salad.

Drizzle more Tahini Dressing over the salad.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Apricot & Cacao Fudge Bites

 I recently discovered that the bag of sweet apricot kernels had been open for some time and really should be used up. We made some sweet apricot kernel milk and then used the pulp to make these bites.

You can of course use any nut or seed milk pulp –  a good alternative would be almond milk pulp – but it may behave and taste slightly differently, so you may need to make some other adjustments.

Please ensure you buy Sweet Apricot Kernels if you wish to follow the recipe and not the Bitter ones, which are often used in traditional medicines, taste bitter (!) and can cause nausea and a whole string of other effects.

Sweet Apricot Kernels look like a slightly smaller almond and have a similar taste. They contain Vitamin E and Iron.

Cacao powder contains many vitamins and minerals especially magnesium, which many people are deficient in, and is a natural mood enhancer and energy booster.

Ingredients

1 Cup Pulp reserved making from Sweet Apricot Kernel Milk

3/4 Cup Soft Dried Apricots, chopped

1/2 Cup Sweet Apricot Kernels,*chopped

1/2 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1/2 Tbsp Cacao Powder*

Juice of a small Satsuma

1 Apple, peeled and grated

1/4 Cup Cacao Butter Buttons** – about a dozen, melted (or solid cacao butter)

1 Tsp Maple Syrup (optional)

Desiccated Coconut for sprinkling

Method

Add all the dry ingredients to a food processor (including the pulp) and pulse several times to break up the apricots and sweet apricot kernels. You still want a bit of bite, the sweet apricot kernels need to be roughly chopped rather than ground, so don’t overdo it.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the desiccated coconut.

Alternately pulse and mix on low for a couple of seconds, scraping the mixture down if necessary, until the mixture can be squeezed together to form a ball. Again, don’t overdo it.

If it’s too wet, add some more chia or other seeds, or a few ground sweet apricot kernels. If too dry, a few more drops of juice.

Roll into ball and then in the coconut. Makes about a dozen, depending on size and how many times you ‘test’ it!

(This one’s for you, K!)

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

**http://www.pulsin.co.uk/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Lemony Avo Pine Nut Spread

This arose out of necessity: there was a mini avocado in the bowl with the bananas that had been there all week and I fancied avocado salad, surely it must be useable by now? The avocado had other ideas. It was so hard, we could have played cricket with it! So, not to be completely outwitted, it was peeled, stoned and chopped and placed in the Braun grinder/chopper with some chopped spring onion, a good squeeze of lemon, some pine nuts, a splash of virgin olive oil, some pink Himalayan salt and some ground black pepper. (All the ingredients were organic).

It was lush! It really worked. I had some with the salad and the rest on some Nairn’s Gluten-Free Oatcakes. Loved every bite.

Avocados are such a versatile fruit and it has been said that you could practically live off them (with water), they have so many essential nutrients for the human body. They are good for your skin, heart, and brain too, with Vitamin E, protein and essential fats. I have avocado in some form every day, often blended into a juice.

(If you want it a bit thinner just add a little more oil and lemon – or persuade your avocado to get a wriggle on with its ripening timetable!)

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Black Bean & Walnut Veggie Burger

Greg over at Pleasant Peasant Cuisine, is a lifelong vegetarian and is on a quest to find the perfect veggie burger. He has several great recipes on his blog. We too hanker after a good, tasty burger, but ours is even more difficult to find as it has to be vegan, gluten-free and nightshade-free, so no egg, wheatflour or tomato. We also need it to be simple, quick and uncomplicated!

Greg has used kidney beans, tofu and seitan, but we decided to try and devise our own version using black beans, which we’d never had before. We enhanced the protein content of the beans with organic chickpea flour to hold it together, chia seeds instead of egg, and walnuts to give it some bite and texture, as well as sweetcorn for a little colour.

Everything was thrown into the food processor and pulsed to bring it together, then shaped and cooked in a little coconut oil in a frying pan.

Black beans are often used in cajun and creole cooking and are good for vegetarians and vegans alike as they are high in protein and fibre:

1 Cup of cooked black beans provides 1/3 of a day’s protein requirement + 15g of fibre – US dietary guidelines recommend 21-25g per day for women and 30-38g per day for men.

They are also a good source of Vitamin B1 (thiamine) which, along with the other B vitamins, helps convert carbohydrates to glucose for fuel to provide energy and also helps metabolise fats and protein.

Black beans contain magnesium – important for relaxing muscles, good quality sleep and elevating mood – as well as iron.

So, on to the burgers – you thought I’d never get there, didn’t you?!

As always, the measurements are appoximate, it was a case of let’s try this and see how it goes and if it’s not enough add a bit more! Everything was organic and gluten-free. If you want a bit more colour or spice, you can add chilli powder or flakes or paprika or different herbs.

Ingredients

1 Cup Cooked Organic Black Beans (we used tinned, strained and rinsed)

1/2 Cup Walnut Pieces

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds* in 1 Tbsp Water

1 Cup Frozen Sweetcorn, defrosted

1 Onion, chopped

1/2 Stick Celery + leaves, chopped

1/2 Small Carrot, shaved

1 Clove Garlic, pressed

A good splash of Tamari

1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt + Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Dried Miso Soup

2-3 Tbsps Chickpea Flour + extra for shaping & frying

imagePut everything in the food processor and pulse a few times to  bring it together, don’t overdo it  you want some texture not a purée! Test to see if you can squeeze it together. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour.

Dust a board with some flour and shape the mix into burgers.

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We managed 4 good-sized ones and a smaller one.

They are quite soft, so handle gently and use a fish slice to lift them into the pan and flip them over.

Melt a little coconut oil in a large frying pan, but not smoking.

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Cook on a medium heat turning a couple of times until done.

imageServed with a watercress or babyleaf and rocket salad, we added sprouted mung beans (more protein), and cumin spiced sweet potato oven chips (fries) with a piquant cashew ‘cheese’ sauce (see here for recipe),

*

Do visit Greg, his blog is full of improvised, unusual and colourful recipes and beautiful photos (click on the link at the top of this post).

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Blended Purple Carrot Memory Juice*

As promised in Ever Had Purple Carrots?  here is a recipe using purple carrots and carrot greens.  I’ve called it the Memory Juice because the anthocyanins that make fruit and veg purple are believed to help with improved memory, among many other benefits. Click the link to find out all about why you should not turn your nose up at differently coloured vegetables or discard your greens.

All ingredients are organic, so the peel is left on. If using non-organic or waxed lemons, peel them thinly so that you retain the pith where the micronutrients lie.

If you’re new to beetroot and not sure, you can peel them so they won’t be as earthy but you’ll lose a lot of nutrients.

Ingredients

2 Purple Carrots, washed, peel left on

1 Small Beetroot, ditto

2 Apples

A Small Handful of Carrot Greens, washed and cut up (they contain protein and are rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium)

1/2 Lemon

1″ Ginger (anti-inflammatory)

3″ Broccoli Stem (also a good plant source of calcium and B vitamins)

1/2 Celery Stalk

Juice all the ingredients, placing the greens, lemon and ginger in between carrots and apple to help them through, put the celery through last so it doesn’t block up your juicer.

Blend the juice with 1/4 Ripe Avocado to make a thicker, more satisfying juice and add more protein and essential fatty acids, good for the skin, good for the brain.

Look at the rich colour – your friends could be forgiven for suspecting you’re stocking up for the next vampire convention!

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*Disclaimer: it’s not really purple but the carrots are!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Açaí, Blackberry & Coconut Gelato

imageAçaí, Blackberry and Coconut Gelato
aka
ABC Gelato because it’s easy as! (Can you guess today’s musical clue?)

The hedgerows are covered in blackberries and as I write, the sun has been poking out from behind lowering clouds after a weekend storm, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to repost an easypeasy lemonsqueezy blackberry gelato recipe.

The recipe has 5 ingredients and takes 5 minutes in a food processor. In fact it’s so quick that by the end of today’s music of choice – it can only be ABC by The Jackson Five – you will be serving up a deliciously creamy, fruity gelato and hopefully enjoying it in a sunny garden. (I was going to go for ‘Blackberry Way’ by The Move, but it’s a bit mournful as she’s just left him and it’s raining!)

Açaí Powder is a great source of antioxidants and has a chocolatey/blackberry flavour which works well with the blackberries in this gelato and the Pitch Dark raw chocolate shavings to serve.

 Açaí berries are high in nutrients, and a source of Omega 9 and 6 fatty acids which help reduce bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. They have been a staple fruit for Amazonian tribes for centuries and are reputed to be anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. The Raw Chocolate Company Açaí powder we use is organic and Fairtrade.

Coconut Palm Sugar is guilt-free (no trees are harmed in its production), it is reputed to have a low-glycaemic index (which means it doesn’t cause spikes in blood sugar) and looks and tastes similar to brown sugar. It is not overly sweet like refined sugar and maintains a good mineral content.

*NB the blackberries need to be frozen overnight first*
If you are going to serve straightaway, chill the glasses before you start.

As always, all measurements are approximate, especially in this recipe.

Makes enough for a couple of scoops each for about 4 people, depending how much you ‘sampled’ along the way!

You need to work quickly, so have everything measured out and ready before you begin, removing the blackberries from the freezer last of all.

Ingredients:

About 30g Blackberries, washed and frozen, reserve a few for decoration
About 120 mls or 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1 rounded Tbsp Açaí Powder*
2 rounded Tbsps Coconut Palm Sugar* depending how sweet or tart you like your blackberries/gelato (you may want to grind it a little finer first)
The Raw Company Pitch Dark Raw Chocolate* shavings to decorate

Method

Put the Blackberries, Açaí Powder, Coconut Palm Sugar and 60mls or 1/4 of a Cup of Coconut Milk into the food processor and pulse a few times to break down the blackberries.

Scrape down and add a little more Coconut Milk and process on a low setting for a few seconds. Scrape down. Repeat.
How much more Coconut Milk you use depends on the amount of blackberries etc, but don’t overdo it as the gelato will become thinner as the blackberries defrost.

Don’t overdo the processing, work quickly.
Scoop into chilled glasses, decorate with fresh blackberries and Pitch Dark shavings.

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Don sunglasses, sit in peaceful sunny garden and savour the flavour! (Ok, I can’t promise sun or a peaceful garden, but the sunglasses will hopefully make you look Cool 😎

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Red Lettuce & Black Bean Protein Salad

imageA short post of a quick salad lunch that was made up of leftover items the day before shopping. These are often the most interesting and unusual meals made up of ingredients you wouldn’t normally put together.

This isn’t too outlandish though, it’s very plain and simple but looks more posh than it is due to the presentation, which often tempts a reluctant eater into trying something they would instantly refuse if you suggested it.

This salad has black beans left over from making veggie burgers (recipe here for Vegan Black Bean & Walnut Veggie Burger ) – an excellent source of vegan protein – in a tamari and olive oil dressing with more protein in the shelled hemp seeds and walnut pieces scattered on top. You could add more colour with tiny tomatoes and red and yellow peppers, but I don’t eat them due to them being nightshade foods, which can exacerbate skin and joint problems.

Ingredients (all organic)

Cover the plate with washed Red Lettuce Leaves

Make an inner circle of thinly sliced Cucumber (Washed and peel on)

Place julienne sticks of Carrot (washed but peel on) on top of the cucumber

Halve some Red Grapes (washed well, especially if not organic as they are usually sprayed many times during their production) and lay on top of the carrot.

Mix 1/2 Tin of rinsed Black Beans and some chopped up Spring Onion in a dressing of Tamari, Black Pepper and Raw Virgin Olive Oil

Tip into the middle of the salad

Scatter Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds over the salad and top it off with a scattering of Walnut pieces.

Drizzle more dressng over the salad.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Lemony Sweet Potato Juice

Sweet potato juice always reminds me of sherbet for some reason and this is like sherbet lemons! Well, that’s what I think, anyway, don’t hold me to it. Refreshing and simple, with not too many ingredients. Good source of Vitamin A, C, B Vitamins, potassium, essential fatty acids, fibre.

Ingredients

(all organic)

1 Sweet Potato, scrubbed, peel left on

2 Carrots, ditto

Handful Oakleaf Lettuce, washed

1 Apple

1/2 Lemon, ditto (thinly peel if waxed to keep the pith)

1 Kiwi, peeled (don’t like the furry bits!)

Juice and ice if liked.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Sweet & Sour Vegetable Soup

After a week where I actually developed tan lines and pink knees (quite a feat for my lilywhite skin), the weather did a major volte-face: the temperature plummeted, the skies glowered like thunder and the heavens opened. The raindrops were so huge and heavy and sounded so loud I feared for the resistance of the utility room roof!

Soup! I must have soup!

I had swapped my shorts for jeans and donned my long socks (my mum thought I said long johns, but I didn’t want to jump the gun, we have a whole other season to get through first!) Soup was definitely called for and there were a few veg needing to be used up.

I have to confess, I don’t like dark leafy greens such as kale, chard and cavolo nero or black kale. I know, they are a must-have from the veg world providing so many essential nutrients including protein, calcium, A and B vitamins, Vitamin C and K (essential for bone health), iron and Omega 3 fatty acids, and I do have them often but generally in juices. I find them bitter and chewy when cooked. (I do like cabbage and spring greens).

We had been juicing some cavolo nero but there were a few leaves left that were in a use-by state and I didn’t want to have them again in my next juice. Our neighbour with the allotment had generously given us some runner beans and a giant marrow (huge zucchini), so these formed the basis of the soup. I wanted to try something different as these last in particular are a bit bland.

image

Look at the size of this marrow! It was about 35cms or 14″ long! It is so heavy and will last ages. We’re going to have to get creative to do it justice.

****

This is what we came up with – you might be surprised by a couple of the ingredients:

image

Ingredients

All measurements approximate.

(All organic, so any peel left on – except for onion!)

About 1/2 Cup Puy Lentils soaked while rest of veg prepared to make more digestible

1 Tsp Raw Virgin Coconut Oil

A few leaves of Cavolo Nero, washed and chopped with any thick veins removed

1 Onion, chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic, pressed

2 Large Carrots, washed but with peel left on, chopped

About 3-4″ Large Marrow, washed and chopped

About 6-8 Runner Beans, washed and chopped

About 1/4 -1/2 medium head of Broccoli, washed and chopped, including stem

3 small Bramley Apples (from our tree, early windfalls) peeled and chopped

1/2 Tablespoon Coconut Palm Sugar (Unrefined and retaining minerals, it has a low GI, meaning it doesn’t cause spikes in blood sugar levels or insulin production like refined sugar, much less sweet).

2-3 Tsps Vegetable Bouillon Powder in approx 3/4 Litre of Hot Water (or enough to just cover the vegetables)

or 3/4 Litre of Vegetable Stock

A Small handful dried Sage Leaves (from our garden)

Splash of Tamari

Lots of Ground Black Pepper

I was going to add a pinch of Cinnamon, but chickened out at the last minute!

Method

In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil until a piece of onion starts sizzling but not smoking hot.

Add onion and garlic and stirfry for a minute then add the rest of the vegetables, gently stirring them about. Put the lid on, turn down the heat and let them sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on a low heat for about an hour or until the lentils and cavolo nero are thoroughly cooked.

I like soup to be blended a little to thicken it and bring together the flavours, so we whizzed it a little with a stick blender before serving, but left most of the vegetables whole.

Adjust the seasoning.

****

This made enough for 3-4 servings, depending on your appetite and whether having it for a light lunch or main meal. It was even better the following day when the flavours had blended. I had it for dinner the second day with some brown basmati rice in the bottom of the bowl.

Extremely satisfying, tasty and different.

And I didn’t mind the cavolo nero at all!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

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