Sauteed brussel sprouts, green beans, cauliflower and pine nuts

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It wasn’t until recently that I fell in love with brussel sprouts. The bland vegetable that I loathed as a child has been revolutionised, appearing in delicious forms in modern cuisine.

A member of the cruciferous vegetable family (think broccoli, cauliflower, kale etc), brussel sprouts are extremely high in vitamins K and C and are a good source of minerals and antioxidants. Brussel sprouts have been credited for their ability to lower bad cholesterol and protect white blood cells within the body against DNA damage.

Cauliflower is nutrient dense vegetable and like brussel sprouts contains a compound called sulforaphane which has been linked to helping promote digestive health and is also used for the prevention of prostate cancer.

Green beans are high in antioxidants and support cardiovascular health. Like brussel sprouts and cauliflower, green beans have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body that helps fight against cancer.

I like to make this recipe with ghee which has a high smoke point and is revered in ayurvedic medicine for aiding digestion and detoxifying, however it’s just as tasty made with butter. It can also be made with olive oil for those who prefer to avoid dairy.

Ingredients

  • 400g/14oz brussel sprouts
  • 300g/10.5oz cauliflower
  • 300g/10.5oz green beans
  • 3 schallots/baby spring onions
  • 50g/1.75oz pine nuts
  • 50g/1.75oz ghee/butter or 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of around half a small lemon)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Bring a frying pan to a medium high heat and toast the pinenuts for a couple of minutes, tossing regularly until browned. Remove from heat and set aside
  2. Steam the green beans for a couple of minutes, ensuring they remain crunchy. Set aside
  3. Grate the brussel sprouts in a food processor, or by hand or alternatively they can be finely chopped
  4. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, not more than an inch in size
  5. Finely chop the shallots
  6. Bring a frying pan to a medium heat and add the ghee/butter or olive oil then fry the cauliflower for around a minute, then add the brussel sprouts and shallots and fry for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are starting to turn golden brown then add the beans and stir through until warm
  7. Stir through the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper
  8. Remove from heat, sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve immediately

Serves 4 as a side

Pear, parsley, lime and ginger green smoothie

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This smoothie is one of my favourite hangover tonics. The ginger helps alleviate nausea and is wonderful for the digestive system, stimulating saliva and digestive enzymes.

Green leafy vegetables (including parsley) are rich in vitamins and minerals. Kale is claimed to be one of healthiest foods on the planet and is extremely high in vitamin K (a one cup serving of raw kale gives more than 600% RDI of vitamin K!). It’s also extremely high in beta carotene which the body turns into vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables are high in antioxidants and have an anti inflammatory on the body. There has been a great deal of research in modern times into the cancer fighting effects these types of foods have on the body.

Cucumber has an extremely high water content so is great for hydration, and is wonderfully alkalising so perfect on a hangover when your body will likely be acidic. Much modern literature points to the benefits of consuming a diet of ~60% alkalising foods (or more) from the reduction of yeast and fungus in the body to helping fight cancer.

Lemons and limes are also alkalising, rich in vitamin C and contain folate which plays a role in the body helping repair DNA damage.

My partner and I enjoy this smoothie on regular basis but it’s a real winner on a hangover!

Ingredients

  • Approx 170g/6 oz dark green leafy vegetables (I use a mixture of kale, baby spinach, asian greens. Basically whatever I have on hand.)
  • 15g or ½ oz ginger
  • Generous handful parsley (around 15g or ½ oz)
  • 1 x medium sized lebanese cucumber or around a third of a telegraph cucumber (around 150g or 5.25 oz)
  • 1 x small lime or half a lemon
  • 300ml coconut water
  • 250ml water
  • half a cup of ice (or more if you like it really cold)

Method

Add all the ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until smooth.

Serves 2

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Zucchini noodles with basil pesto

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This is a super light and tasty dish that works beautifully topped with your favourite protein and smashed avocado for a good serve of healthy fats.

Zucchinis. known as courgettes in the UK, are wonderfully alkalising vegetables rich in antioxidants. They are beneficial for eye health and contain a special type of pectin which has been linked to helping the body regulate insulin and protect against diabetes. They’re also very low in calories so perfect for those trying to lose weight or on a low-carb diet.

Like many other green leafy vegetables, basil is rich in vitamin K which plays an important role in the body helping blood clot, building healthy bones and providing support for the cardiovascular system. Basil contains flavonoids that help protect the body’s white blood cells against DNA damage and have antibacterial qualities that help protect against unwanted bacterial growth. Basil oil has anti-inflammatory qualities that may be beneficial for those with arthritis.

Basil pesto

  • 2 cups basil approx 50g
  • 50g / 1.75oz parmesan
  • 50 / 1.75oz pine nuts
  • 1 large clove of garlic/1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (or 4-5 tablespoons if you like a runnier pesto that will keep a little longer in the fridge)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place the ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender and blend until smooth. You will end up with the consistency of a thick paste. To thin I add water when cooking but prefer not to add it when making the pesto as it doesn’t tend to keep as long. Alternatively you can add a tablespoon or two extra of olive oil when blending and this will result in a runnier, more traditional style pesto and will also help it keep longer in the fridge.

Zucchini noodles

  • 6 medium to large zucchinis / courgettes (approx 600g / 21oz)
  • 18 cherry tomatoes
  • 30g /1oz pine nuts
  • OPTIONAL: half a ripe avocado
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 5 minutes
  2. Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes until soft
  3. Heat a pan to a medium heat and dry cook the pine nuts for a minute or two, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. Create your zucchini noodles using either a food processor, mandolin slicer or if you don’t have one you can use a good old fashioned cheese grater (obviously this won’t be as pretty but the effect will be the same)
  5. If you have time and you wish to drain out the excess liquid from the zucchinis, place them in a food colander, sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes or so then rinse thoroughly and pat dry (I’m happy with a little extra liquid in my noodles so don’t worry about this step)
  6. If using avocado, mash it with a fork (and if you have a little fresh lemon, sprinkle a tiny bit of juice over the top to keep it nice and green)
  7. Heat a saucepan to a medium heat, add the olive oil and saute the zucchini for a minute until lightly warmed through then set aside
  8. Place 3 generous tablespoons of pesto in the pan. If you used 3 tablespoons of olive oil when making the pesto you will need to add approx 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. If you made the pesto with extra olive oil, you won’t need the water. Allow to heat and if using pesto and water stir with a wooden spool until mixed to a thin paste
  9. Return the zucchini to the pan with the pesto for a short time (less than a minute) until the pesto is mixed through the zucchini
  10. Top with the roasted baby tomatoes, pine nuts and smashed avocado (if using avocado)
  11. Serve with your favourite protein (I like poached chicken – if you’re vegetarian chickpeas work well)

Serves 2

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