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Beetroot & Lentil Salad with Goat’s Cheese Dressing

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This ‘go to’ salad is perfect for a super quick lunch and is substantial too, so will keep you full through the afternoon, but it doesn’t end there!! It makes a great vegetarian starter and could be served as one of a selection of salads for a larger meal.  Why not spoon some into a container when you want to take lunch on the go!  It’s so quick to make and for a great short-cut, I often use the little pouches of cooked organic beetroot you can buy, they’re such a good stand-by, just be sure not to pick up pickled beetroot by mistake! The goat’s cheese dressing is so delicious, you don’t need to keep it just for this recipe.  With the warmer weather and longer days our thoughts change to summer foods, lighter dishes and the anticipation of all the new seasons produce that spring and summer can bring. Try the dressing on barbecued or griddled vegetables, such as aubergine, peppers and courgettes. It would make a perfect accompaniment to steamed or barbecued asparagus, look out for fresh British asparagus coming into season …

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 …

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 …

Mocha Truffles, Brandy Truffles & Orange Truffles

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These little balls of deliciousness won’t fail to satisfy the need for a festive treat! They are so good!! You can relax slightly in the knowledge that they’re packed with dates and nuts, so definitely a much healthier option than a tin full of sweets!!  I’ve used cashew nuts here as they are so creamy, making the final texture so deliciously indulgent and smooth that its hard to believe they don’t contain tons of cream and sugar! I have used a tiny amount of chocolate to dust them so if you prefer to avoid it then use the raw cacao powder or coconut options instead. I couldn’t stop at one flavour, so there are 3 for you to try! I love mocha, the warm smokiness of coffee mixed with a satisfying chocolate hit.  Subtle in flavour, these are dusted very lightly in raw cacao powder….pure and simple! Then….Brandy! I’ve always had a bit of a weakness for Brandy Butter and when growing up would always try to get away with having more Brandy Butter than pudding!! (Some will …