March 2015 - Simple Wellness Food

Basic and Easy Omelette

March 30, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

This is a great breakfast staple that you can vary with whatever you have in the fridge/pantry. Best of all, you can make it in only a few minutes with virtually no prep so it’s perfect for rushed mornings.

Ingredients

2 extra large organic/free range eggs
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil/ghee/butter

Filling Ideas

4 mushrooms
Couple of rosemary spikes (if you have them)
50g/2oz goat’s cheese or other grated cheese of your choice

1 tomato, finely chopped
couple of basil leaves
50g/2oz goat’s cheese or other grated cheese of your choice

Feel free to experiment with any other vegetables and fillings that you like, ham and bacon are also good (if using bacon you’ll need to cook it first).

Method

Chop up whatever you’re using as a filling and set aside. Beat the eggs into a bowl and add the salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and once hot add half the olive oil/ghee/butter. If you’re making the mushroom and goat’s cheese omelette, fry the mushrooms and rosemary spikes for a couple of minutes until they’re browned then remove from the pan and mix through the goat’s cheese. Similarly, if using tomato I like to chop it up and fry it in half the olive oil for a minute or so with a little chopped basil then mix through the goat’s cheese once removed from the heat.

Remove the filling from the pan, set aside and clean the pan then return to the heat. Once hot, add the remaining olive oil/ghee/butter and allow to heat for 10 seconds or so (it should sizzle) then add the beaten egg mixture and allow to cook for around a minute until you can see the eggs have cooked about half way through. Add your topping to half of the pan (the left hand side if you’re right hand sided), then with a spatula lift the right side of the egg mixture away from the pan and fold it over the filling on the left side (reverse if you’re left handed). Allow to cook for around another minute until the omelette is golden brown then remove from the pan and serve immediately. For extra nutrition add a side of spinach or your favourite greens.

Note: it’s completely up to you how you like to enjoy your vegetables, you may wish to skip the first step of frying them and simply cook the eggs for a minute or so then add the uncooked veggies as your omelette filling.

Serves 1

Hearty Lentil and Cannellini Bean Soup

March 26, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

There are so many great things about this dish. It’s full of flavour, inexpensive to make and loaded with nutrition. I make mine with slow cooked bone broth, reknown for its healing properties. However, if you’re vegan/vegetarian, you can easily substitute with a vegetable stock – it will taste equally good.

Ingredients

1 cup of brown lentils
1 x 400g tin/ 14oz can cannellini beans
1 x 400g tin/14oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander/cilantro
1 teaspoon ground paprika (I choose sweet paprika)
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
2 large celery sticks, finely chopped
2 litres/8 cups/~4 pints bone broth/chicken/vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparing the lentils and cannellini beans

I like to soak the lentils overnight (for anywhere between 8 – 24 hours) in filtered water with a dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. I really find this step aids digestion and prevents the formation of wind-promoting gases usually associated with consuming pulses/legumes. For more detailed information, refer to the Dr Weston Price Foundation. If you’re short of time however, you can skip this process and simply use dried lentils. Either way, make sure the lentils are thoroughly rinsed before adding to this dish.

Similarly I like to soak dry cannellini beans, however these require at least 12 hours soaking (some literature recommends up to 24 hours) and then simmering for 1.5 hours. I cook big batches and freeze the beans for later use, however if you’re short of time opt for tinned beans.

Method

Heat a large saucepan to a medium heat, add the olive oil and fry the leek, carrot and celery for around 5 minutes until softened. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the lentils (either pre-soaked or dry) and stock and cook over a medium-low heat for an hour, allowing the soup to gently simmer.

Add the crushed tomatoes, cannellini beans, coriander, paprika and some salt and pepper and cook for another 30 minutes – 1 hour. The soup will be ready after 30 minutes, however I like to let it cook a bit longer so that it reduces to a really dense, hearty soup.

Enjoy straight away or freeze for later use.

Serves 4-6

BBQ Chicken, Mexican Style

March 22, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

There are so many reasons why I love this dish. It tastes delicious, requires virtually no preparation, and is completely versatile – making it one of my week night staples.

Serve with fresh lime and salad for a light meal or if you prefer something more substantial enjoy with soft tortillas and your favourite Mexican condiments to make delicious fajitas.

Ingredients

6 boneless organic/free range chicken thighs
3 tablespoons / 45ml/ 1.5 fl oz olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
Quarter of a fresh lime

Method

Heat the BBQ to high (I allow 10 minutes for my BBQ to heat fully). Place the olive oil in a bowl, add the paprika, season with salt and pepper and stir well. Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and place them in the olive oil and paprika mix while the BBQ heats (10 minutes).

Cook on the BBQ for 7.5 minutes each side until cooked all the way through. Remove from heat, squeeze the fresh lime over the thighs and serve immediately.

Serves 2-3

Slow cooked shoulder of lamb

March 19, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb

This is absolutely my favourite way to eat lamb. Slow cooking the meat makes it so tender and delicious, it just falls off the bone. I often serve to guests and it never fails to please.

Just as good as the flavour are the health benefits rendered by cooking the meat on the bone. Doing so creates a stock that’s absolutely packed full of nutrition and is great for boosting immunity, promoting healthy gut flora, reducing joint inflammation and promoting healthy hair, skin and nail growth.

It’s also an extremely quick and easy dish to make with a preparation time of only around 15 minutes. Make it on a Sunday morning and you’ll have a perfect Sunday night dinner to share with family or friends.

Ingredients

1.8kg/4lb shoulder of lamb on the bone – this is just a guide, more or less is fine. The recipe also works fine with a deboned lamb shoulder.
400ml/ 1¾ cup/ 14 fl oz beef stock (you can also use chicken or vegetable stock)
6 cloves garlic
1 large sprig of rosemary
1 x carrot (optional)
1 x stick of celery (optional)

Method

De-skin the garlic cloves and cut into quarters (if the cloves are small you may only need to cut them in half). Make around 6 incisions in the lamb – if you’re cooking a bigger cut you may wish to make 8 incisions. Insert a half/quarter garlic clove in each incision along with a few rosemary spikes.

Heat a pan to medium high and add the lamb, fry until golden brown all round – this should only take a couple of minutes on each side but make sure you completely “seal” the meat, this will help lock in the flavour and moisture as the meat cooks. Once complete, add to the slow cooker (crock pot) or large casserole dish. Chop the onion, celery and carrot (if you’re using them – these will enhance the flavour of the stock) and add to the slow cooker/casserole dish. Pour over the stock and add any remaining cloves of garlic and rosemary to the dish.

If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 8 hours or if short of time cook on high for 4 hours. If cooking in a casserole dish in the oven cook for 4 hours at 140 degrees Celsius or 360 Fahrenheit (make sure you have the lid on the casserole dish).

This dish is so tender and delicious it does not need gravy. I generally just rub a few Maldon sea salt flakes into the meat which I find really brings out the flavour.

If short of time, I serve the lamb with a rocket and parmesan salad which makes a lovely, light compliment to this rich meat. This dish is also delicious served with steamed green beans and roast vegetables.

Drain and set aside the stock to use in soups or broths. It will keep in the freezer for several months.

Serves 4

Slow Cooked Spanish Chicken

March 16, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

This dish is so full of flavour, it’s a versatile crowd pleaser. Make a big batch and freeze half, it’s just as good the second time around.

Ingredients

6 skinless chicken thigh fillets (choose organic or free range)
2 red onions
2 capsicums/belle peppers (this dish works best with one yellow and one red but two red are fine too)
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
½ cup/120ml/4 fl oz crushed tinned/canned tomatoes or tomato passata
¼ cup/60ml/2 fl oz of white wine or chicken stock (this dish is delicious with white wine but you can easily substitute for chicken stock)
½ cup pitted black olives, sliced in half
6 artichoke hearts – quartered
3 tablespoons/45ml/1.5 fl oz good quality extra virgin olive oil

Method

Trim any fat from the chicken thighs and cut into pieces (I cut each thigh into around 6 pieces). Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and add half the olive then fry the chicken in batches until the meat turns golden brown. Once cooked, add to the base of the slow cooker.

Whilst you’re cooking the chicken, finely chop the onions and garlic and de-seed and the capsicum/belle peppers and cut into pieces. Bring another frying pan to a medium heat and add the remaining olive oil then cook the onion and garlic for around 3 minutes until softened. Add the paprika and capsicums/belle peppers and cook for another couple of minutes stirring continuously.

Add the vegetables to the slow cooker (place on top of the chicken), then mix the crushed tomatoes/tomato passata and white wine/vegetable stock and add this over the chicken and vegetable mix. It may seem that there’s not enough liquid but rest assured there will be plenty.

Cook on low for 7 hours.

Just before you’re ready to serve, transfer to a pan (over a low to medium heat), add the olives and artichoke hearts and reduce a little. Serve with steamed green beans and broccoli. This dish is also delicious on a bed of rice if you prefer a more substantial meal.

Serves 4

Note, I’ve tried cooking with chicken on the bone then removing the bones prior to serving but I find the chicken flavour over powers the vegetables. However, there are compelling health benefits associated with eating bone broth (as long as you choose good quality organic/free range meat). So if you don’t mind a strong chicken flavour, choose skinless chicken thighs on the bone and be careful to remove the bones before serving. The dish will end up with more liquid so you will need to reduce it on the stove a little longer prior to serving.

Five Green Vegetable Salad

March 14, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

When I’m feeling the need to load up on green vegetables, this salad is a great way to do so. I find that eating the vegetables rather than blending them into a smoothie is much more satisfying, and the lemon vinaigrette dressing really compliments the vegetables beautifully.

Ingredients

1 zucchini
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup lightly steamed broccoli florets (they should be nice and firm)
half a cup of snow peas
half an avocado

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon
Equal parts cold pressed extra olive oil (around 3 tablespoons depending on how big/juicy your lemon is)
Heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard

Make the dressing by juicing the lemon into a small jar with a lid, adding the olive oil and mustard and shaking really well. This will make enough to dress several salads and will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.

Steam the broccoli and allow to cool. Top and tail the snow peas and cut them in half. Chop the avocado into cubes around 1cm/half an inch each side, then add all ingredients to a large salad bowl. Mix through the dressing (you should need around a quarter to a third) and serve with your favourite protein (I like poached or roast chicken). Don’t feel the need to be too strict with the ingredients, use whatever you like or have available at home. I also like to top with some sauerkraut or fermented vegetables if I have them as they’re wonderful for the digestive system.

Serves 2

Delicious Activated Almonds

March 5, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

It took much trial and error for me to get activated almonds right. The secret lies in soaking for the almonds for around 12 hours (you don’t have to be exact but try to be close to this mark), then dehydrating for 36 hours in a food dehydrator. You can also choose dehydrate your almonds in the oven, however you’ll need to monitor and assess from 24 hours to ensure they don’t overcook.

Ingredients

1-1.5kg almonds (choose pesticide free, preferably organic)
Juice of half a lemon/1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon good quality salt – finely ground (optional)

Method

Rinse the almonds then drain and add to a large bowl. Cover in plenty of water – ideally you should have a ratio of at least 3 times water to almonds. Add the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (this will help neutralise the phytic acid in the almonds and make them more easily digestible). Soak for 12 hours then drain and pat dry thoroughly. If you’re using salt, mix through the almonds little by little evenly distributed.

Add the nuts to the food dehydrator and cook at 75 degrees celsius/165 degrees Fahrenheit for 36 hours. If using an oven, choose the lowest setting on your oven (mine is 50 degrees Celsius) and check after 24 hours to see how the nuts are. Depending on the strength of your oven you may not need to go the full 36 hours.

Once your nuts are cooked (they should be delicious and crunchy) allow to cool completely then store in glass jars.

Baked fish with salsa verde

March 1, 2015 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

This is a light and easy dish that has a delicious Mediterranean flavour. You can use any firm white fish and if you’re not keen on olives you can easily leave these out or substitute with some pine nuts. Make the salsa verde in advance, it will keep in the fridge for at least six weeks.

Ingredients

2 medium sized fillets of firm white fish around 2.5cm or 1 inch thick (blue eye and barramundi work well)
Around a 8 large green olives – pitted and sliced in two (I prefer a milder variety so as not to overpower the fish)

Salsa Verde

1 x bunch parsley
Half a bunch of dill
2 medium sized garlic cloves
2 teaspoons of capers
¼ Spanish onion
125ml/half a cup of lemon infused extra virgin olive oil

Method

For the salsa verde, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend for around 30-60 seconds or until smooth (you can also use a high power blender).

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius or 340 degrees Fahrenheit (10 minutes is the usual guide). While the oven is heating, cut a sheet of aluminium foil and place on a baking tray. Add the fish and spread with the salsa verde then top with the green olives (if you’re using them).

Bake in the oven for around 15-20 minutes depending on how well cooked you like your fish. Serve with a light green salad dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette.

Here are a couple of options if you’re not using olives:

Thinly slice a lemon and place around 6 lemon slices under each fillet of fish. Once baked, drizzle the lemon juice over the fish
If using pine nuts, while the fish is cooking heat a pan to a medium heat and add the pine nuts and toast for around 1 minute, tossing regularly until they turn lightly brown (this happens quickly so be careful not to burn them). When the fish is ready, sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the top.

Serves 2