This is going to be a rather brief post as I just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas with this lovely treat full of Christmas flavours. Rich in good fats, minerals, vitamins, plant protein and fibre these little balls will keep you going… Read more
In the run up to Christmas – only one week to go- you are probably busy running around going to Christmas parties and planning your Christmas dinner. Here is a quick snack you can easily prepare in advance, a creamy butter bean hummus with spiced… Read more
Around this time of the year I love taking advantage of home sprouting, it’s such a good way to bring freshness to your plate. You can almost sprout any seeds or pulses, as well as some nuts. The idea of sprouting is to increase mineral… Read more
Lentil, chickpea and alfafa sprouts
You can get the dry beans and seeds from the supermarket and most organic shops or green grocers should have some. Organic is always better and not that much more expensive. And here is how it works:
1. Place a handful or two of seeds into a bowl , fill with water until covered and leave to soak over night. Ideally use filtered water.
2. The next morning, rinse well with filtered water and drain using a sieve, then place seeds back in the bowl, this time without adding water.
3. Leave covered or uncovered throughout the day, avoiding direct sunlight and repeat rinsing process in the evenings and mornings. Keeping the seeds moist and at room temperature will encourage them to start sprouting.
4. After 2-3 days small tails should start showing . Once the tails are well visible, they are ready to be eaten and will keep in and air tight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days. The cool temperature in the fridge will prevent them from sprouting further. Sprouts go really well on top of salads, soups, as sandwich fillings or eaten as a snack. In fact you can just sprinkle some freshness onto any lunches and dinners of your choice! For example I topped my kale & red cabbage salad with some alfafa sprouts today.
Bon appetit !
It is already day 5 but I think I can still say ‘Happy New Year’!! For many of us the New Year starts with some sort of detox . I have chosen to give up alcohol, coffee and gluten for a month. Coffee is probably… Read more
Gluten free multi-seed bread – makes 2 small loafs
Chop the baked chestnuts into small pieces or cut in half and thinly slice them, mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl; then whisk together sirup, oil and water until oil is dissolved and add to the dry ingredients; stir with a wooden spoon until you get a nice texture (its not dough like, its more like a thick but smooth porridge) . If the mix seems to dry add a little more water. Prepare small bread baking pans with baking paper, that way the the bread won’t stick to the pan. I even use the baking paper on non sticky pans, safes washing up and I try and re-use the paper. Add the bread mix to the pans and leave covered at room temperature for at least two hours, even better over night.
Once the mix has rested, preheat the oven at 175c and bake for 20minutes, then take the bread out of the pan and put upside down on baking tray, using baking paper to keep everything clean.
Put the ‘upside down’ bread loafs back in the oven and bake for another 30-40 minutes. The bread is ready if it sounds ‘hollow’, when gently tapping on the top.
Leave the bread to cool before cutting and eating it . The bread keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days. I usually slice it and put in the freezer, so I can have it fresh when ever I fancy it. It works well going straight from freezer in the toaster. Top with your favourite bread toppings , mine include cheese & pickle, mushroom pate, hummus, ghee & a sprinkle of salt, honey, marmalade or avocado & spring onions with a little bit of tamari sauce. Just too good!
The weeks running up to Christmas have been a bit hectic, work, Christmas parties and lunches got the better of me, so here comes a ‘Christmassy’ hummus recipe just on time for the holidays. Chestnut hummus is easy to make and a great way to use… Read more
Chestnut & sprouted chickpea hummus- serves 4
Sprouting chickpeas: soak 1 cups of dried chickpeas over night, drain and rinse in the morning. Leave in the bowl with no added water and repeat the rinsing process morning and evening, so they keep moist all the time, until they have sprouted. You will start to see little tails growing after the first day or two, on day 3 or 4 they should be ready. They not only make a delicious hummus, they are also a great addition to soups and salads or just eating as a snack. Once sprouted they keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
Fro dry roasting the chestnuts pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees C/gas mark 7. To prepare the nuts for baking, using a sharp small kitchen knife, carefully cut a little cross into the peel on the flat side, that way it will be easier to peel them later as the peel opens up during the roasting process. Lay out on baking paper in baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Shake the tray a few times during the process, so the nuts cook evenly. Remove the peel when they are still warm as the peel won´t come off as easy once they are cool. They are super delicious to eat just baked, so you have to be careful not to eat them all during the peeling process.
Put all ingredients in the food processor and blend until you get a smooth paste. Chestnuts are the only nuts that do not contain a lot of oil, so if the paste is a bit stiff, carefully add some more olive oil and water until the hummus has your preferred consistency. Season for taste with extra salt and cumin if needed. Serve with warm multi-seed bread and a drizzle of olive oil. Avocado, pumpkin seed oil and a pinch of salt works really well too. Chestnut hummus and pomegranate also make a very good combination. Enjoy!!
Although Kale is available throughout the year, it is best and most nutritious during the winter months and in early spring. Here are some facts and ideas of what to do with the first leaves of the season. A member of the cabbage family, kale… Read more
One of my favorites are kale crisps, they are easily made at home and so much cheaper and better than from the shop. All you need is: 1 bag of kale , 1-2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt.
Pre-heat the oven at around 80-110 degrees; wash and dry off the leaves, tear them into smaller pieces if needed, sprinkle and massage the olive oil into the dry leaves, add Himalayan salt and mix well. Put some baking paper on a baking tray, spread out the leaves and bake until crisp. It usually takes around 15-25 minutes, but please keep an eye as the kale leaves easily burn. The safest way is to open the oven door now and again, to check on them and let the accumulating steam escape. Enjoy ! If you have a dehydrator, even better & healthier, but it takes a lot longer to make them.
For different flavors add chilli flakes, cayenne pepper or nutritional yeast ( this adds a cheesy flavor). Another delicious variation is to massage the kale with a miso -tamari paste. For one bag of kale (170g) take 1 tbsp of sesame oil, with half a tbsp of miso paste ( I love the Clear Spring barley or brown rice miso paste) , 1 tsp of sesame seed, 1 tsp of Tamari ( or soy) sauce, 1 tsp of Tahini, half a tsp of very finely chopped ginger ( or crushed with a garlic press – saves a lot of time) and mix well. Massage the paste into the leaves, make sure it is distributed well, so that every leaf gets a good coating- spread the kale on baking paper and bake as described above.