Author: sarahshealthyappetite

Berry & Toasted Chocolate Granola Pots

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  These delicious little pots make a perfect start to the day. All the preparation can be done the day before, making it a very quick and easy breakfast to put together. You could even layer it in a jar and take your breakfast with you. I love having a jar of the granola ready made, in the cupboard, it keeps well stored in an airtight container or jar. I like the fact that it gains its sweetness from a small amount of dark chocolate and the natural sugars in the berries. A perfect summer breakfast or brunch! Make this a perfect gluten free breakfast by using gluten free oats. This recipe formed the first part of a days menu I had to design for the module on the Heart & Circulatory System in my Diploma in Culinary Medicine. Read on, at the end, to find out why the ingredients I’ve included are heart healthy and how they can benefit the body. I’m lucky enough to be writing this as I sit overlooking Mylor Creek, one …

Smoked Mackerel Paté

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This week I’m sharing one of my really quick, go to recipes when I’m looking for a speedy, healthy lunch to feed the family. Serve it with toasted wholemeal pitta, or oat cakes, served with a pile of sliced cucumber and watercress. If you keep a bowl in the fridge, you can also sneak a snack on a chunk of cucumber to satisfy the mid morning munchies!! It’s great for picnics too! Packed full of omega 3 fatty acids, mackerel is a great food to include regularly in the diet. Omega 3 fatty acids help the body produce its own anti-inflammatory response. Great for helping to keep heart and circulation system healthy as well as maintaining cell membrane function.   Serves about 4   230g packet smoked mackerel fillets 2-3tbsp live probiotic natural yogurt about 1tsp creamed horseradish juice of 1 lemon, about 2tbsp salt and black pepper Remove the skin from the mackerel and place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and plenty of seasoning. If you love horseradish, I’d add an extra 1/2tsp! Using …

Seafood Bowl

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  I’ve always been a big fan of seafood casseroles and if a bouillabaisse is on the menu, I find it hard to ignore! This is a beautifully simple version, enhanced by some fresh herbs and a hint of paprika. Deliciously light, its a perfect recipe for all year round. Plus, its all cooked in one pan, so couldn’t be easier!! This is another great recipe for boosting your immune system. To make a perfectly balanced meal, serve with a steamed green vegetable, broccoli is perfect. I’ve included the health benefits of each ingredient at the bottom of the recipe. Serves 4   1 red chilli 2tbsp olive oil 1 small red onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 red pepper 350g sweet potato 400g tin tomato polpa (see tip below) 3tbsp chopped fresh oregano 1tsp paprika salt and pepper 350g salmon fillet 175g fresh squid 175g large raw peeled prawns juice of ½ lemon 2tbsp chopped fresh parsley steamed broccoli to accompany   Deseed and finely chop the chilli, heat the oil in a …

Roasted Chickpea, Shiitake & Spinach Salad

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  This recipe really packs a nutritional punch! Its great for boosting your immune system. All the information you need is at the end of the recipe.  A great healthy lunch which, I think, is better served warm, however any leftovers would make a perfect packed lunch too. The sumac gives a tangy lemony flavour and is often used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cookery. It’s now stocked in most supermarkets with the herbs and spices. Serves 4   400g tin chickpeas olive oil sea salt and black pepper 1tsp sumac grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 250g shiitake mushrooms 1 garlic clove, crushed ½ small red onion 100g bag fresh baby spinach, washed 100g feta cheese, crumbled   Drain the chickpeas and rinse well. Drain and dry on kitchen paper and remove any loose skins. Place the chickpeas in a frying pan and drizzle over a little olive oil and a light sprinkling of sea salt. Shake to coat the chickpeas in the oil and salt. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until …

Creamy Cashew Pancakes

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These pancakes are so good!! Please don’t just think of them as a ‘gluten free’ pancake recipe…..yes, they are gluten free…..but, in my opinion, they’re way more delicious than regular wheat based American style pancakes and will have all the family asking for more! They are rich and creamy in texture, bursting with flavour and because they are packed full of nuts and eggs are nutritionally dense. Served with goji berries, fresh berries and yogurt they are the perfect immune boosting breakfast. How good is that, to have pancakes that can help fight off a cold?!! The combination of good fat and protein will also help to keep you fuller longer so will help ward of those mid morning munchies!! This recipe was developed as a breakfast dish for the immune system module of the Diploma in Culinary Medicine that I’m currently studying. I’ve included the ingredients write up at the end of the recipe if you’re interested in knowing about the nutritional benefits of each ingredient. Don’t forget to serve with the goji berries and live yogurt if you …

Mackerel with Thyme Roasted Roots & Horseradish Dressing

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Mackerel has a wonderful flavour, perfect with the punchy flavours of the roasted roots and horseradish. A fish in plentiful supply, that is so good for us, so tasty, but sadly under used. Ask your fishmonger to fillet and pin bone the mackerel for you, this is then such an easy recipe to cook and a big fat tick in the box for increasing fish intake in the diet! This is the third and final recipe developed for the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome module of my Diploma in Culinary Medicine. I’ve included the nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe if you’re interested to read why I selected and used certain ingredients.   Serves 2 1 large parsnip 1 sweet potato 2 large carrots olive oil 2tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper 1tbsp natural Greek yogurt 1tsp grated hot horseradish 1tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 garlic clove, crushed 4 mackerel fillets chopped fresh chives to garnish, optional steamed green vegetables to accompany   Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Scrub the …

Chicken & Avocado Quinoa Salad

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Serves 2 I love this salad, its my new favourite!! A classic combination of chicken and avocado flavoured with all the great tastes that burst out of a guacamole!! Not being a great avocado fan, (I know….isn’t everyone supposed to love them!!) but knowing how good they are for me, I am so happy to discover a way I can really enjoy eating them.  The flavour is so fresh and clean, I’ll be enjoying this one all year round!! A complete meal, packed full of goodness, this is the second recipe that formed part of the first module on my Diploma in Culinary Medicine and again I have included the supporting information to show the health benefits of the main ingredients in supporting the body against diabetes, obesity & metabolic syndrome. This salad is easy to transport so you can take it with you for a healthy lunch on the go which beats a sandwich and has the advantage of being gluten free! I’ve also made it without chicken and added a good handful of pumpkin …

Mini Smoked Salmon & Courgette Frittata

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This is the first of the recipes I developed as part of my Diploma in Culinary Medicine. I’ve just completed the first module relating to Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome and this is the breakfast recipe that formed part of a days menu. At the end of the recipe I’ve included the write up I had to submit with the recipe, so if you’re interested you can see why I’ve used certain ingredients and the benefit they offer! This has been read by Dale Pinnock, The Medicinal Chef, who has written the course and assesses our work! You can serve one or two of these tasty little frittata for a perfect breakfast or wrap in greaseproof paper and take with you! They are so quick to put together, you could pop them in the oven whilst you get ready in the morning! They also make a perfect lunch with salad at home or on the go, or make really small ones and serve as canapés! Makes 6 coconut oil or olive oil 1 courgette about 200g …

Roasted Cod Tray Bake

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I’ve decided, as a family, we just don’t eat enough fish and I think we’re probably not alone there! It was easy growing up by the sea, to be able to enjoy an abundance of really fresh seafood, but sadly, fish doesn’t make such a regular feature anymore, yet I love it. I often make smoked mackerel pate and we have salmon quite frequently, occasional fish barbecues in the summer, but I know I could include more. Its finding a good reliable supply that makes all the difference. My plan is to try and include a greater variety of fish and seafood in our regular meals and shop around to find the freshest I can. Fish can be quite expensive, but by stretching it out with lots of other ingredients you can get all the delicious flavours and a substantial meal too. This Sunday I put our normal Sunday Roast to one side and served cod instead. There was a surprised, and I have to admit, slightly disappointed look on at least one of the faces …

Exciting News!

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I’ve always been interested in nutrition and healthy eating and since starting this blog my interest has doubled! It’s quite a few years since I studied basic nutrition and over recent years there have been massive advances in knowledge and understanding of how nutrients work in the body, their role and benefits. I’ve been really keen to add more in depth nutrition and health information to some of my recipe posts, but if I’m going to talk knowledgeably I decided I should update and improve my understanding so I can confidently write posts that share this useful information with you! So…..I’ve signed up to do a Diploma in Culinary Medicine. The course is written by Dale Pinnock, you may know him as the Medicinal Chef, who has written numerous cookery books, articles in magazines and newspapers and he also features regularly on television sharing his extensive knowledge on nutrition and health. I shall be ‘studying modules which have been designed to address the most important areas of diet and health in the modern World today’. I’ll also be creating …