February 2016 - Simple Wellness Food

Quinoa and chia seed breakfast bowl

February 28, 2016 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

This recipe makes a delicious, versatile breakfast that can be enjoyed chilled in summer or warm in winter. It’s wonderfully portable so can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for several days. Top with your favourite nuts, fruit and seeds and mix with coconut or almond milk.

I’ve included oats in this recipe but if you’re gluten free you can simply substitute with more quinoa and chia seeds. If using oats I suggest you soak them separately over night (this helps neutralise the phytic acid which can be hard for the body to digest), however if you’re short on time just mix everything together an hour in advance and you’ll be ready to go.

Health Benefits

A staple food in Central and South America, quinoa is a gluten-free grain revered for its health benefits. It’s rich in minerals and antioxidants and has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body which is thought to lower the risk of cancer. Quinoa contains all eight essential amino acids and is therefore considered a whole protein, making it an excellent choice for vegetarians.

Considered a superfood by many, chia seeds are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, high in fibre, minerals and antioxidants and make an excellent inclusion in the diet.

Oats are high in beta-glucan fibre which is said to lower the risk of bad cholesterol in the body. They also contain unique antioxidants which have been linked to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Throw in some nuts and berries and this breakfast bowl is teaming with a range of nutrients that will help you power through the morning.

Ingredients

50g/1.75oz cooked quinoa (I like to soak my quinoa before cooking and then freeze in batches – you can use pre-cooked quinoa straight from the freezer in this recipe)
20g / 0.7oz / 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
20g oats / 0.7oz (optional – you can substitute with an extra 10g of chia seeds and 10g of quinoa)
250ml /8.5 fl oz drinking coconut milk (I like Coco Quench) or almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or natural vanilla essence
half a teaspoon of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg (optional)
1 large ripe banana

Toppings of your choice

30g chopped mixed nuts (I like almonds and hazelnuts)
Mixed berries or other fruit in season

Method

As noted above, steps 1 and 2 below are optional. If short on time simply add all the ingredients listed in steps 1 and 2 together and chill for an hour then move to step 4.

If using oats, cover them in filtered water (room temperature) and allow to soak overnight, ideally for 12 hours
Place the quinoa, chia seeds, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg in a bowl and cover with the coconut or almond milk – leave to soak overnight in the fridge
Drain the oats, rinse and add to the quinoa mix
Mash two thirds of the banana into the quinoa mixture (leave the rest to garnish) – your breakfast bowl is ready
If you prefer a warm breakfast, place the mixture in a saucepan over a low heat and allow to cook for 10 minutes until warmed through (you may wish to add a little extra milk)
Serve topped with the reserved banana, nuts and berries or other fruit in season

Serves 2

Radish salad with avocado, mango & walnuts

February 23, 2016 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

This is a lovely salad to make in late summer, when mangoes, radishes and avocado are all in season.

Ingredients

6 small round red radishes (or use any type of good eating radish that is available locally and in season)

Half a medium to large sized mango (or a whole small mango)

Half a medium to large sized avocado

110g/3.5oz mixed leaves/ 4 tightly cupped packs

30g/1oz walnuts, chopped into small pieces

Dressing

Fresh juice of one lemon – should equate to roughly 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
Equal parts olive oil (I choose cold pressed) – again, should equate to roughly 3 tablespoons depending on how juicy your lemon is
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

Method

Make the dressing by adding the ingredients to a small glass jar with a lid. Shake well and set aside
Place the washed lettuce leaves in a large salad bowl
Wash the radish and slice using a vegetable peeler so that you get lovely thin slices
Cut the mango and avocado into small chunks and add to the salad bowl
Pour roughly 2 tablespoons of dressing over the salad – this should be plenty but if not add a little extra (the rest will keep in the fridge for several days – I keep mine for a week and it’s always fine)
Serve sprinkled with the chopped walnuts

Enjoy with your favourite protein (poached chicken works well).

Serves 2 – 4

Makes 2 large salads or 4 smaller side salads

Health benefits

Revered by the Chinese for their health promoting properties, radishes are great for the stomach and liver and have wonderful detoxification properties. They’re rich in vitamin C and contain the flavonoid anthocyanins, which has been credited for its anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting properties. Some research studies suggest that radishes are also good for cardiovascular health.

Avocados are extremely rich in monounsaturated fats including oleic acid which is said to enhance memory and brain activity and improve healthy cholesterol levels. Healthy fats play a vital role in helping the body absorb vitamin D.

Mangoes are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and their delicious sweet flavour provides a pefect compliment to the radish in this salad.

Walnuts are rich are extremely rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids which promotes heart health and good cholesterol, they’re rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamin E.

Broccolini salad with greens, seeds and sweet potato

February 18, 2016 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

This is a delicious salad packed with nutrition thanks to a variety of tasty, nutritious ingredients.

Broccolini originates from Japan and is a hybrid of broccoli and kai-lan (also known as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale). It’s rich in vitamins C and K and like other members of the brassica family is loaded with antioxidants and credited for its cancer fighting properties.

Spinach is off-the-scale rich in vitamin K, which plays an important role in the body for bone health as well as it’s vitamin D absorption. In fact, a 60g serve (which is an individual serve according to the ingredients below) provides 329% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K (and that’s without factoring in the other ingredients).

Snow pea sprouts are grown from pea seeds and like other sprouts are teaming with life. They’re rich in vitamins C & A, relatively high in protein and contain significant amounts of folic acid making them ideal for pregnant women.

Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin A, thanks to the beta-carotene which gives them their orange colour, while the seeds are both rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants and contain significant amounts of vitamin E.

Ingredients

4 broccolini stems – approx 60g or just over 2oz
1 medium-to-large sized sweet potato
120g / 4.25 oz / approx 2 tightly packed cups of baby spinach leaves
50g / 1.75oz snow pea sprouts (a large handful)
30g / 1oz sunflower seeds
30g / 1oz pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds)
1 generous tablespoon of olive oil

Dressing

1 tablespoon good quality sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon good quality rice vinegar (I choose brown rice vinegar)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Peel the sweet potato and chop into pieces roughly 2cm/1 inch each side
Toss the sweet potato in the olive oil and roast in the oven for roughly an hour until they start to turn golden brown and are cooked through. Remove and allow to cool
Steam the broccolini for a couple of minutes until cooked through but still nice and firm then allow to cool
Bring a frying pan (ideally stainless steel) to a medium-high heat and cook the sunflower seeds for a couple of minutes until golden brown, tossing regularly to ensure they do not burn. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool.
Repeat step 5 with the pepitas
Add the dressing ingredients to a small jar with a lid and shake well
Chop the cooled broccolini into pieces and add to a large salad bowl along with the other vegetables
Pour a third of the dressing over the salad and mix through well. If you need more dressing, add gradually – the dressing has a lovely bold flavour so you don’t need too much (any the left over will keep in the fridge for several weeks)
Top with the seeds and your favourite protein

Serves 2-4

Makes 2 large salads or a small side salad each for 4

Coconut & Lime Ceviche

February 9, 2016 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

Ceviche is a deliciously light dish that tastes amazing and is wonderfully quick and simple to make.

Made by marinating white fish in lime juice and coconut milk, the lime juice cures the fish so that there’s no need to cook (hence no nasty fish smells in your kitchen).

Best enjoyed in summer – when limes are tasty, abundant and cheap – limes have many health promoting properties. They are rich in vitamin C and are excellent for digestive function, thanks to their natural acidity which stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes. Limes are high in flavonoids, best known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties – the latter making them good for arthritis sufferers. Limes are also said to be good for the skin (especially the oil in the skin, which is present in this dish thanks to the zest) and help regulate sugar absorption in diabetic patients.

Coconuts are a superfood of the moment and although the milk can be a little on the heavy side, you don’t actually consume a great deal in this recipe as you discard much of the marinate.

The cucumber is light and alkalising, the chilli is also good for digestion and the coriander/cilantro contains helps the body reduce swelling and inflammation.

Make sure you choose a good quality firm white fish for this dish – if unsure check with your fish monger.

Ingredients

Approx 500g / 18oz (2 -3 fillets) of firm white fish
4 eschalots (Australia) /scallions (US) /spring onions (UK)
half a bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
quarter bunch fresh mint leaves
Juice and zest of 2 limes
150ml/ 5fl oz coconut milk
1 long red chilli (deseeded)
half a lebanese cucumber
Salt and pepper to serve
Extra lime wedges to serve

Method

Finely zest the lime using a grater, then juice the limes and combine with the coconut milk
Remove the blood line from the fish and cut into small cubes just under 1cm each side or about a third of an inch
Place the fish into a glass or non-reactive bowl, cover with the lime and coconut milk marinade and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This process will cure the fish. I like to leave mine for an hour but ideally you should not leave for longer than 2 hours.
Meanwhile, peel the cucumber, remove the inner part and finely chop the flesh then place in a sieve over a bowl and lightly salt – this will leach the excess water from the cucumber
Remove the seeds from the chili (i like to use gloves for this so as not to burn my hands), wash and finely chop
Finely chop the white and light green part of the spring onion
Once the fish has cured, remove from the fridge and drain ensuring that you keep the coconut and lime marinade
Mix the chilli, cucumber, spring onion, coriander and mint leaves through the fish and top with a little of the coconut and lime marinade (although not too much, you don’t want it to be soupy)
Serve with fresh lime wedges

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main dish.

White cabbage and iceberg salad

February 1, 2016 by Ailsa Leave a Comment

I’m loving this white cabbage salad at the moment. The combination of herbs, capers and toasted sunflower seeds coupled with the white wine and lemon dressing give it a really unique flavour. I’m not usually the biggest fan of dill but it really works well in his recipe.

Best of all the cabbage is super nutritious. A member of the cruciferous vegetable family, cabbage is rich in antioxidants and like other cruciferous vegetables has been credited for its cancer fighting properties. Cabbage is high in glucosinolates, a group of natural plant compounds that help the body stimulate detoxification and fight inflammation, activities that are particularly beneficial in the fight against breast, bladder, colon and prostate cancer. Cabbage is also wonderfully soothing for the stomach and digestive tract.

I didn’t used to think too much about the health benefits of herbs but parsley is extremely rich in vitamin K which plays a major role in promoting healthy bones and supporting calcium absorption and blood clotting within the body. Dill is a great source of calcium and although the serve in this dish is small it’s important to consume nutrients from a wide variety of natural plant sources. The generous sprinkling of sunflower seeds provides a good source of vitamin E and a range of trace minerals.

Ingredients

200g /7oz white cabbage (around a quarter of a small-to-medium sized cabbage)
100g /3.5 oz iceberg lettuce (around a quarter of a small-to-medium sized iceberg lettuce)
4 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 small eschalots/scallions/small spring onions
generous handful of flat parsley leaves (around 10g / ⅓ oz)
small handful dill leaves (around 5g/ ⅕ oz)
1 teaspoon capers
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

3 tablespoons lemon juice (approximately the juice of a small-medium sized lemon)
3 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon good quality white wine vinegar

Method

Toast the sunflower seeds for a couple of minutes until golden brown (I do this under the grill or in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat). Check/toss regularly while cooking to make sure they don’t burn. Set aside to cool
Wash the lettuce and cabbage and slice into long thin strips then place in a large salad bowl
Finely chop the white part of the eschalots/scallions/spring onions, the parsley, dill and capers and mix through the cabbage and lettuce
Drizzle lightly with the dressing (you’ll only need a couple of tablespoons, not the whole lot). Mix through thoroughly and add a little extra if need be
Season with salt and pepper then add the sunflower seeds and mix through

This dish works well topped with some poached chicken or served with fish or with legumes for vegans/vegetarians. It also tastes great with half an avocado chopped and mixed through.

Serves 2