B is for bananas

bananasBananas are one of the world’s most widely consumed fruits. They come in their own convenient packaging, which makes them ideal for a healthy snack or lunch on the go (watch tennis players like Andy Murray consuming them between sets during Wimbledon!). And what could be easier than slicing a banana into cereal, porridge or yoghurt at breakfast? I have never liked over-ripe bananas (or even ripe) bananas because of the mushy texture. It turns out that the slightly under-ripe banana with a yellow tinge to its skin actually has more health benefits because its resistant starch (see below) has not yet turned into sugar, writes Dr Susan Aldridge, guest blogger,freelance writer and editor based in London, with an interest in medicine, health, science and food/nutrition.
Bananas are a healthy food because:

• They are high in resistant starch, which lowers blood sugar and ‘feeds’ the healthy bacteria in the colon, boosting the immune system and possibly preventing against cancer.
• They are high in potassium, with a single banana providing around 10% of your recommended daily intake. A diet rich in potassium lowers blood pressure and protects cardiovascular health.
• They provide around 25% of your recommended vitamin B6 intake, making for a healthy brain and nervous system.

Banana spinach smoothie

Bananas (or avocadoes) are the key to getting a smooth texture and taste balance in a Nutriblast (if you use a Nutribullet – or smoothie if you have another machine). This recipe makes a frothy green drink, packed with nutrients and with a nice touch of sweetness.
Serves one

Big handful of washed spinach leaves
Around 400ml hemp milk (or substitute almond milk)
One banana, sliced
Tsp mixed chia seeds/flax seeds
Tsp supergreens powder
Blast all the ingredients till smooth. Drink immediately.

Fruity curry

The secret here, I think, is to add the banana right at the end, otherwise it goes mushy. I think peas, spinach and lentils go well with banana in a curry but, obviously, you might want to experiment with other ingredients.
Serves two

One red onion, chopped
One inch piece of ginger, grated
Tbsp curry paste
Tbsp cinnamon
Tbsp turmeric
Two handfuls baby spinach leaves
100g red lentils
400ml coconut milk
400g tinned tomatoes
100g frozen peas
1-2 sliced bananas

Fry the onion and ginger with the spices in coconut oil until soft. Add the curry paste, lentils and stir. Then add the tomatoes and coconut milk and simmer till the lentils are soft. Add the peas and spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add the sliced bananas and heat through.

Banana flapjacks

I’ve long been trying to recreate a healthier version of the classic flapjack – replacing the butter, syrup and sugar. In the banana flapjack recipe, I keep the butter and syrup but substitute the sugar with bananas and coconut blossom nectar (a totally new ingredient to me – I used the Tiana brand which I found alongside the coconut oil we use for cooking). I reckoned the coconut flavour would go well with banana.

Makes 12 pieces

40g butter
60g coconut blossom nectar
1tbps golden syrup
225g oats
50g dried cranberries
2 bananas, chopped and mashed
Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Melt the butter, coconut nectar and syrup. Tip the mixture into a bowl and add other ingredients. Mix well. Grease a shallow baking tray and transfer the flapjack mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until brown. Allow to cool and then cut into pieces.

C is for cauliflower

cauliflowerCauliflower is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family and therefore related to broccoli, watercress, kale, bok choy, Brussels sprouts and radishes.

Like its relatives, the cauliflower is packed with healthy phytochemicals but is often overlooked as a superfood – maybe because it is not brightly coloured and lacks taste when it is overcooked.

Susanpic_31.10.15
Dr Susan Aldridge, guest blogger,freelance writer and editor based in London, with an interest in medicine, health, science and food/nutrition.

If you haven’t bought a cauliflower for a while, why not add one to your shopping basket this month? Look for one which is pure white, without brown spots, and with plenty of green leaves surrounding the heart. The cauliflower is versatile in cooking – it can be used raw, as in my rainbow crudites dish, or cooked, as in the curry. And it can also be used as a rice or mash substitute for those on a low carb diet – see the final recipe, for shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash.

Cauliflower is:

  • High fibre, low calorie, rich in vitamins B, C and K, as well as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and folate
  • Packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients like beta-carotene, quercetin, rutin, kaempferol and indole-3-carbinol
  • A rich source of the potent anti-cancer compound sulforaphane, which has been found to kill cancer stem cells and inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

Rainbow crudites

Serves – as many as you like

Challenge yourself to assemble as many coloured vegetables as you can to offset the white of the cauliflower.

One head of cauliflower, cut into florets

Chopped cooked asparagus

Carrot batons

Radishes (try to get a bunch of multi-coloured radishes)

Cherry tomatoes

Sliced red, yellow, orange and green peppers

Mangetout peas

Broccoli florets

Sliced celery

Crisp Little Gem lettuce leaves

Arrange in a platter and serve with your favourite dip. For this, I made an almond hummus by blitzing a can of chick peas, one tbps each of almond butter, flax seed oil, lemon juice, a chopped chilli and three crushed cloves of garlic in the food processor. Add as many of your favourite dips as you like and make it into a party!

 

Cauliflower curry

Serves two

This dish has the advantage of combining curcumin, the powerful anti-cancer compound in turmeric, with the sulforaphane of the cauliflower.

One cauliflower, chopped into florets

One tbsp. cinnamon

One tbsp. turmeric

One tbsp. curry paste

One red onion

A one inch piece of ginger, chopped

Three cloves garlic, crushed

One chopped red chilli

Around 400g cooked chick peas

One bunch spinach

One tin coconut milk

One tbsp. tomato puree

Lemon juice

Chopped coriander

Heat some coconut oil and fry the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger and spices till soft. Add the cauliflower and cook for around 10 minutes. Add chick peas and stir till everything is coated with the spice mixture. Add the coconut milk and turn down to simmer. Cook until reduced and add the tomato puree.  Finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serve with a garnish of chopped coriander.

 

Shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash

This was my first time with cauliflower mash and it won’t be my last! A nice alternative to sweet potato mash.

Serves four (heats up well)

One red onion

Around 400g red lentils

Large jar of tomato sauce

Two chopped carrots

Two stalks celery

One tbsp. mixed herbs

For the mash

One cauliflower, cut into florets

Mustard

Butter

Crème fraiche

Sliced tomatoes

For the filling, fry the onion, carrots and celery in coconut oil till soft. Add the lentils and fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the tomato sauce and herbs and cook on a low heat till the lentils are soft. Meanwhile, boil the cauliflower till soft and mash with the butter, mustard and crème fraiche (in whatever proportions you fancy) to give a soft texture.

Top the filling with the mash and garnish with sliced tomatoes. Cook at 190˚C (gas mark 5) for 30 minutes

 

O is for oranges

O is for orangesFebruary is often associated with oranges because it is the season for the Seville oranges that are used for making marmalade, writes our guest blogger, Dr Susan Aldridge, freelance writer and editor based in London, with an interest in medicine, health, science and food/nutrition.

But you won’t find any marmalade recipes here – just two healthy juices and two delicious salads.

Tropical fruit juice

Serves one
Two oranges, segmented
One chopped pineapple or tub of fresh pineapple pieces
Two mangoes, sliced
One inch of peeled ginger
Juice all ingredients and drink immediately

Orange, carrot and pepper juice

Serves one
Two oranges, segmented
Two carrots, chopped roughly
One red, orange or yellow pepper, chopped roughly
One inch of peeled ginger

Juice all ingredients and drink immediately

Orange and watercress salad
Version 1
Serves two

Bunch of watercress, chopped
Bag of lambs lettuce or wild rocket
One orange, chopped
Handful of walnuts
Mix all ingredients and toss with one tbsp. flax seed oil and one tbsp. cider vinegar.

Version 2
Replace the walnuts with one chopped avocado.

S is for sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoesI prefer to go for healthy comfort food in January, rather than bother with detoxing or going dry, writes our guest blogger, Dr Susan Aldridge, freelance writer and editor based in London, with an interest in medicine, health, science and food/nutrition.

Sweet potatoes can form the basis of some lovely winter recipes for cheering up those dark afternoons and evenings. The sweet potato comes from a different botanical family from the ordinary potato and is a root rather than a tuber (underground stem). Besides the familiar orange-fleshed variety, they come in white, yellow, pink and potato varieties.

The orange sweet potato is high in the carotenoids that give this vegetable its characteristic colour. These are the precursor of vitamin A, which is known for its antioxidant property.

  • One sweet potato will give you over 100% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A.
  • Sweet potatoes are a good source of B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium.
  • They are fat-free and lower in calories (though higher in sugar, as you’d expect) than ordinary potatoes.

They are also cheap – you can get all the recipes below from a bag of sweet potatoes and still have a couple left over to make a quick healthy supper of a microwaved sweet potato with baked beans or cottage cheese.

Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup

Serves two
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes
100g red lentils
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp turmeric
750ml vegetable stock
1 tsp Marmite
1 tbsp tomato puree
Juice of 1 lemon
Fry the onion, sweet potato and lentils with the spices in coconut oil till browned (about 10 minutes). Add the stock, Marmite and tomato puree. Simmer till lentils and vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes). Blend till smooth. Squeeze in the lemon juice to finish.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 3-4
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Large jar tomato sauce
1 pack Quorn mince
1 tbsp dried herbs
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp grated Cheddar or Lancashire cheese
3 tomatoes, sliced
Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Fry the onions, celery, carrots and mince in coconut oil till browned (about 10 minutes). Add dried herbs and tomato sauce and simmer to make a thick sauce (about 30 minutes). Transfer to a casserole dish. Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes till soft and mash till smooth. Top the mince mixture with the mash and finish with the grated cheese and sliced tomatoes. Bake for 20-30 minutes till browned. Serve with a selection of green vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and peas.

Sweet potato and cauliflower curry

Serves 3-4
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
1 chilli, de-seeded and chopped up small (second chilli to serve on the side if you’re partial to a bit of extra heat)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 tbsp curry powder or paste
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tin coconut milk
2 400g tins tomatoes
Fresh coriander and mint, chopped
Fry the vegetables, garlic, chilli and spices in coconut oil till brown (about 10 minutes). Add the coconut milk and tomatoes and simmer for around 30 minutes. Finish with the chopped herbs. Serve with mini naan bread, raita and a tomato, onion and peanut salad. If you like, chop another chilli and serve it on the side.

W is for walnuts

walnutsLike cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, macadamias, Brazil nuts and pistachios, walnuts are tree nuts (peanuts, by the way, are legumes).

Guest blog by Susan Aldridge, freelance writer and editor based in London, with an interest in medicine, health, science and food/nutrition.

Although high in fat and, therefore, calories, the tree nuts are a concentrated (and portable) form of nutrition and you can get the health benefits with just a small handful each day.

Like the other tree nuts, walnuts are rich in minerals and contain omega-3-fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid, which are anti-inflammatory and thus good for the heart and brain. Walnuts also contain some unique antioxidants – namely, juglone, tellimagrandin and morin.

Studies (in animals) suggest that walnut consumption reduces the growth of prostate and breast tumours. Meanwhile, trials in human subjects showed that adding walnuts to the diet (or using them to substitute other foods) aided weight loss.

Walnuts can be bought either fresh (sometimes known as ‘wet’ walnuts) or dried. They can also be roasted, which does not take away any of their health benefits. However, ageing can oxidise the healthy fats in walnuts, so if you do buy dried walnuts, keep them in an airtight container, preferably in the fridge and buy in small amounts from a reputable source.

For my salad, I was lucky enough to find a marvellous stall in the Duke of York Square food market in Chelsea, where there were four different varieties of fresh walnuts on sale (see picture). Cracking them was a bit of a chore (years since I’ve used a nutcracker) but worth it for the flavour in a dish where (unlike the smoothie or roast) the nuts are used raw and unprocessed.

Berry Walnut Smoothie

This is the first time I’ve used nuts in my Nutribullet and I wasn’t sure whether to use the milling device on the walnuts first. In the end I just chucked them in with the other ingredients and the result was fine – a lovely pink drink high in protein and antioxidants. You could use strawberries or blueberries instead of the raspberries or a mixture of two or three berries. Equally, you could substitute any other nut milk or coconut milk for the almond milk.

Serves one

1 carton fresh raspberries
1 banana, sliced into large chunks
250 ml unsweetened almond milk
Around 10 walnut halves
1 tsp berry powder(I used acai, pomegranate and blueberry, but there are many other combos)
Blast the lot in a Nutribullet or similar blender. Drink immediately.

Winter walnut salad

Serves two

Around 100g shelled ‘wet’ walnuts
100g blue cheese/goat cheese or a mixture, cubed
Bunch watercress
Handful cranberries
Four sticks celery, chopped small

Mix all ingredients and toss in a dressing made of cider vinegar and extra-virgin cold-pressed flax seed oil (as you know from my other posts, I use oil from The Linseed Farm but, of course, other healthy oils are available).

Christmas walnut roast

We always have a nut roast on Christmas Day and I vary the recipe a bit every year. I’ve just done a dry run on this year’s recipe, which features walnuts, so that I can bring it to you in time for the festive season.

Serves six

1 red onion
1 red pepper
200 g mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
350 g Quorn mince
200 g walnuts, chopped
50 g Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp dried herbs
2 beaten eggs
2 tbsp tomato puree
Whole nuts (brazils, hazelnuts, walnut halves, cashews, pecans) to decorate

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. Fry the onion, pepper, mushrooms, Quorn mince and garlic in coconut oil for around 15 minutes, till lightly browned. Tip into a mixing bowl and add the egg, tomato puree, cheese and herbs and mix well. Press into a loaf tin and finish with a layer of whole nuts. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown. Leave to rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Serve hot with a home-made tomato or mushroom sauce and vegetables. The loaf re-heats well for the following day, or can be served cold with pickles and salad.