Super Seasonal Soups

Anyone else delighted that the evenings are drawing in and the air is cooler? I love autumn. The colours, smell of wood smoke and crisp air. It's also the season for beautiful squashes, pumpkins and curly kale. For me, soup is the ultimate homemade comfort food. Great with warm, crispy bread and hearty enough on their own. Here are a few of my favourite seasonal soup recipes:

Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel Soup

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 fennel bulb
1 onion
1 litre vegan stock
3 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
1 red or birdseye chilli
1 thumb piece ginger
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 block creamed coconut
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Wash the squash, de-seed and chop into chunks. Put it in a baking dish with coconut or olive oil (not virgin!) and season. Roast in oven for about 1/2hr. The skin will soften and is edible. Don't worry!
Meanwhile, chop the fennel, onion and garlic and sweat in a pan with some oil over a low heat and with the lid on. Shake the pan every few minutes so nothing sticks on the bottom and burns. Do this for about 7mins. Add the chilli and flakes, ginger, stock, roasted squash, and coconut and let it simmer over a low heat for about 20mins. You may need to add more water. Blitz and over a low heat, season and add the lime juice. Serve with a dollop of coconut yogurt and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Note: I'll add more soups this week and include photos. Also, let me know if you'd like recipes for veg you're not sure how to cook or what it goes well with.

Turmeric Power!

Recently I can't get enough of Turmeric. The weird nobbly root that dyes your fingers bright orange.

It has been used in Ayurverdic medicine for thousands of years as an anti-inflammatory and powerful antioxidant that has well researched and recognised anti-cancer effects, used in both the prevention and treatment of.

The active component in turmeric is called curcumin. Curcumin has poor oral bioavailability but black pepper can help enhance absorption. Black pepper contains a compound called bio-perine, which helps you to absorb nutrients from your food. If you want the anti-inflammatory benefits of curcumin in your colon, skip the black pepper. Or stick it up your bum. Just kidding. Don't do that. 

Remember! Not all turmeric is equal! Please purchase a good quality, organic and raw powder from a health food shop and NOT a generic bottle from the spice aisle of the supermarket. You want it to be active and nutritious, not sawdust. I am currently using a brand I found in Planet Organic called Organic Traditions which is £6.99 for 200g (this lasts ages!). 

Below are my favourite comforting recipes using warming turmerc. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Daal

I can't believe I haven't posted a daal recipe on here yet! It is my go-to comfort food! This recipe is rich in the anti-oxidants beta-carotene and lutein which can be found in orange, yellow and red fruit and veg. There's nothing like a bucket of this on a cold, wet winters night, or when you're hungover and sofa bound! It's a warm hug in a bowl and puts the world to rights.

Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients. It's super quick and easy to make and once you've done it a few times you'll be making your own version. Blindfolded.

Cooking time about 40mins. Serves 3/4 

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 sweet potato or large white potato

1 mug of split red lentils washed and any stones removed

1 red or orange bell pepper, sliced

1 red onion 

3/4 handfuls spinach leaves, well washed

2 turmeric roots sliced or 2 tsp ground turmeric

1 thumb sized piece of ginger root cut into matchsticks

3 gloves garlic

1 red chilli

1 green chilli

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

800mls-1 litre veggie stock

1 tin chopped tomatoes

To top:

Coconut or low fat yoghurt

Fresh coriander, chopped roughly, washed and stalks removed

Wedge of lime

Serve with basmati rice or eat on its own with naan or chapati.

Method:

Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy bottomed (make the rocking world go round) pan. Add the chopped potato, onions and garlic. Stir and cover. Leave to sweat for about 7 mins, shaking the pan every so often so they don't stick. Add all the spices, turmeric,ginger, chilli and bell peppers. Stir. Chuck in the lentils and stir in half the stock or enough to cover all the ingredients.

Leave to simmer for about 20mins or until the veg is cooked and the lentils have absorbed the stock. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 20mins. Lastly, stir in the spinach and remove from the heat. Serve with heaps of coriander, yoghurt and lime and find Nirvana. Or watch the DVD. It's pretty good.

Sweet potato pancakes with a tahini, coconut and lime dressing

These are excellent for a weekend brunch and pretty delicious any other time of day too.

Serves 2/makes 6 pancakes.

Ingredients:

1 tsp coconut oil to cook

1 sweet potato, peeled boiled and mashed

2 flax/chia eggs eggs (1 tablespoon flax or chia seeds soaked in 2 tablespoons of water for 5 minutes)

1 tbsp coconut flour 

1 handful spinach, shredded

1 heaped tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

grated nutmeg

Diced ripe avocado to serve

For the dressing:

1 tbsp tahini

Juice of 1 lime

2 tsp coconut yoghurt 

Serve with chopped avocado, chopped coriander and a wedge of lime

Method:

Simply beat all the ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed and you have what resembles a pancake batter! Heat the oil in a frying pan and make patties in your hand with the mixture. Fry each side for approximately 2/3 mins or until firm and slightly browned.

For the dressing, put all three ingredients in a jam jar and shake it like a polaroid picture.

Stack 'em high and enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

I made this delicious soup last night with the random items I had left in my fridge and boy was it good! So! Like a good foodie I wrote it all down before I forgot, so I could share it with you lovely folk.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, washed, deseeded and chopped into chunks 

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges

2 gloves garlic, chopped

1-2 litres stock

1 block creamed coconut

3 good handfuls of chopped kale

2tsp turmeric

1tsp cinnamon

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp garlic and rosemary seasoning

Cracked black pepper

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200 Degrees C and melt a spoon of coconut oil in a roasting tin (enough to coat the base). Place the squash, sweet potato and garlic in the tin and add the smoked paprika, chilli flakes, garlic and rosemary seasoning, season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Give everything a good shake until the veg is coated in the spices and roast for about 20-30 mins until nice and soft. 

Transfer the veg to a hot, heavy bottomed pan and add enough stock to cover the veg, turmeric, cinnamon and creamed coconut. Put a lid on it and simmer for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the block of creamed coconut has melted completely. Whizz in a blender or with a hand held one and if the soup is souper (sorry, not sorry) thick, add more stock. Return to a gentle heat and add the kale. Stir and simmer for another 5 minutes. 

I don't have a picture as I ate it all. 

Turmeric, ginger, Chia Porridge Oats

This is a great start to a cold morning. The chia seeds add protein to an otherwise carb-heavy meal and will keep you fuller for longer. The ginger and turmeric are warming, stimulating and great for digestion as well as their anti-inflammatory powers! 

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 cup jumbo rolled oats

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup milk of your choice (I use almond or brown rice milk)

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 small apple, grated

1 inch piece ginger. grated

1 heaped tsp turmeric powder

To top it off:

Coconut jam (If you've not tried this you need to) OR Blob almond butter

1 tsp raw honey or tsp organic black strap molasses

1tsp cinnamon

6 walnut halves (per person)

Coconut shavings

If you're feeling greedy/extra famished then whack the lot on!

Method:

I like to soak my oats and chia seeds in hot water for 20 mins (usually whilst in the shower. Myself, not the oats. They'd get soggy. DUH!!)

Heat up the oats and chia, add the ginger, turmeric and grated apple and stir often. As the mixture starts to thicken gradually add the milk until your porridge is the desired consistency. Some like it sloppy, others like it like wallpaper paste. Hey! Tomato, potato. 

Serve and stick on a few or as many toppings as your heart yearns for.

It's porridge. It's not supposed to be pretty!

Turmeric Latte

Lovely! Great instead of coffee (I'm trying to convince myself). Any time of day or night.

Ingredients (per person):

1 cup brown rice or almond milk (sweetened or vanilla)

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cracked black pepper

whisk all the ingredients in a pan over a gentle heat or whizz up in a blender and then heat up in a milk pan.

Quick ideas:

Add a teaspoon of turmeric to hot chocolate, make a restorative drink with hot water, honey and lemon, add to smoothies, juices, coconut water with a squeeze of fresh lemon, stir-fries, rice pudding, bread mixture, cakes and bakes...

Useful links:

http://examine.com/supplements/curcumin/

www.planetorganic.com

Eat well. xx

Comfort and joy!

Anyone else noticed the mornings are feeling cooler as we begin our shift into Autumn? The evenings are also darker. But, before you despair, think about all the lovely, warming, comfort food that awaits you....

Comfort

I have started having porridge for breakfast again. Obviously I tart it up though. There is something so evocative about a big bowl of steaming oats. There wasn't a snowy day that escaped my mother demanding my siblings and I ate a bowl before being bundled up and allowed outside to make snowmen. I can still taste it. Oats made with full fat milk and dark muscodavo sugar that made brown swirls through the creamy porridge. Heaven.

Blackberries, plums, apples, pears are all coming into season and make excellent hot or cold toppings for porridge. Add any combination of banana, chopped dates, cacao nibs, coconut chips, berries (dried or fresh), seeds, nuts, nut butter (I use home-made almond butter in mine as it makes everything taste amazing), honey, maple syrup, molasses and cinnamon and you will have a nutritious and delicious start to the day. If I'm working out lots (very rare) I'll also add a scoop of protein powder to the pan just before I switch it off.

I usually soak my oats for about 20mins in hot water with a spoon of chia seeds (extra protein) whilst I'm in the shower. This means they cook in no time, I add a non-dairy milk, like brown rice or almond, whilst it's cooking. 

Sometimes, you need some extra comfort. I have had a head cold this week and made a very piggy bowl of porridge this morning, which included medjool dates and a home-made chocolate nut cookie. Instant gratification!

My indulgent porridge:

Soak a cup of jumbo porridge oats in warm water for 20mins
Grate an apple and add to the oats
Add a handful of raisins 
1 tsp cinnamon
Add a splash of your choice of milk for a creamier porridge

Gently heat until the mixture thickens

To top:
1 sliced plum 
6 walnut halves

2 chopped medjool dates
A blob of almond butter (obvs)
Molasses, drizzled 
A nutty choco cookie (recipe below) if you desire it! 

Walnuts are a great source of omega 3, melatonin and vitamin E. They look like tiny brains which is what they are good for! 

Molasses is a great source of B-vits and iron. Great for all you veggies and vegans. It's ironic that it's a by-product of the sugar refining process when it's what contains all the minerals and nutrients. But, there you go. It's a mad world we live in. 
Molasses also contains a nutrient called PABA, which is a member of the B vitamins. It is useful for protecting the skin against damaging UV rays from the inside. Therefore protecting skin from sunburn and the development of skin cancer. I also read it can protect from the effects of breathing second hand smoke. I don't know if this has been proven though so don't quote me! 

Something else that instantly takes me back to my school days is semolina. We used to have it as a pudding with raspberry jam. I can still smell it, sweet and earthy. I bought a bag of semolina last week when I was feeling nostalgic. It warrants a home-made, Scandinavian style fresh jam to accompany it so maybe that's what I'll have a bash at this weekend. Ultimate comfort. Like a hug in a bowl!

Joy

There are occasions when no matter how many times I open the fridge or cupboard doors, no chocolate materialises. Neither does any cake, or biscuits. This is what is known as an EMERGENCY. 

I have two recipes on stand by for such emergencies that are quick and easy to make and only require a few ingredients. Take note:

Chocolate nut fudge cookies (these were inspired by a recipe in Deliciously Ella. I improved them though. Obviously.)

Ingredients:

150g ground almonds
150g walnuts
100g coconut flour
50g milled flax seeds
6 medjool dates or 10 smaller dates (I personally like the Iranian dates. They are small and very gooey!)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Method:

Blend eveything in a blender and add about 75-100ml water to make a sticky dough. If too wet, simple add a bit more ground flax seed.

Spoon out blobs of the mixture and make it into as much of a ball as possible. Place on a baking tray and squash it with a spatula. Bake in the oven for about 15mins, on about 180 degrees Celsius, checking them halfway through. Feel free to squash them with a spatula if you want them flatter! When you deem them done, carefully slide each cookie onto a cooling tray. Try not to eat them all at once. Unless you really really need to.

NOW! The party ain't over! If you have a powerful blender this is where you can REALLY have some fun! Make ice-cream sandwiches by blending 2 frozen bananas, a few dates and some peanut butter (optional). Whiz it all up and scoop a blob between two cookies (make sure they have cooled first!). Shove in your gob. Close your eyes. Enjoy the moment. 

No Bake Vegan Brownies

These babies take about 10 mins prep time. They do need to set in the freezer for about an hour though. Sorry!

Ingredients:

110g coconut flour
150g coconut oil
50g raw cacao powder
50g medium oatmeal (omit if you want them gluten-free)
1tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons agave nectar
50g chopped nuts (optional)

Method:

Mix all ingredients together (gently melt coconut oil in a bowl above simmering water if it is too solid)
Grease a square brownie tin and line with cling-film. pour mixture in and set in freezer for about 1hr. 

These are great on their own, with a mug of coffee for breakfast, or broken up on ice-cream. 

Coming soon....my raw, vegan salted caramel slice recipe. It's worth waiting for.....

Eat well. Xx

Simple Mutha Supper!

For this post I want to keep it real. I'm talking about quick, healthy, easy meals with a few simple ingredients that taste like a hug feels. Or something.

Here are three...and a half recipes for you to try this weekend. Perfect for something super fast and healthy to set you up for a night out, or to rustle up before a night in front of the telly.

Please let me know what you think or how they worked out for you.

I'm not one for measuring and weighing every little thing so just go with it. Experiment. Live life on the edge. I like the sense of danger. It makes me feel alive.

Celery cashew soup
Don't judge it till you've tried it.

Glug of olive oil or similar
1 cup cashew nuts
2 heads of celery, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 spoon Bouillon powder or other veg stock
1 mug of soya milk or alternative
flat leaf parsley, chopped (if in doubt, just chop it)
Nutmeg, salt and black pepper to taste.

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan and with the lid on, on a low heat, sweat the potato, celery, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes. Give the pan a shake every few minutes so nothing sticks and burns.

Throw in the cashew nuts and sweat for a further 2 mins. Then add enough boiling water to cover the veg and stir in the veg stock.

Simmer for about 1/2hr until everything is nice and soft. Blitz the soup in a food processor until smooth. Then add the milk and season with the nutmeg (freshly grated is best), salt (taste the soup first as some veg stocks can be very salty!) and pepper.

Stir in the chopped parsley and serve! Ta daa!

I like this with toasted spelt bread. But that's just how I roll.

Variation:

To make a deliciously creamy, vegan spinach soup, swap the celery for spinach. Omit the parsley though! Also, adding a fennel bulb to this recipe is delicious. You can also use the fennel tops in the soup and on top as a garnish.

Courgetti with avocado pesto and stir fried tofu

This meal is insanely tasty and so simple you'll be asking yourself why you didn't think it up. But you didn't and I did. You're just going to have to live with that.

I bought my Spiralizer from Amazon. I've managed to add bits of my fingers to the ingredients a few times so just be careful!

Serves 2.

Coconut oil or other fryng oil
1 slab of tofu cut into squares. keep it chunky

For the marinade:
Teryaki sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 green chilli, sliced

For the pesto:
1 ripe avo, mashed
Juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime
Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 courgettes, spiralized!
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch chunk of ginger, sliced into matchstick kinda size

To serve:
Pine nuts gently toasted in a dry frying pan
1/2 a lime



Method:

Melt enough coconut oil in a frying pan to cover the base generously.
Gently fry the tofu chunks with the chilli, sliced garlic and ginger, turning frequently, until golden brown.

In a wok gently stir fry the courgetti in coconut oil for a few minutes until they soften.

Meanwhile, mash up all the pesto ingredients together and mix it with the courgetti in the wok.

Drain the tofu on kitchen toil and discard the garlic and ginger. It will most likely be burnt.

Plate up, scatter with pine nuts and squeeze that lime!

Shove it in yer gob! Yummy.

Spaghetti alla Olivia

I made it, so I named it. Plus my name is basically Olive in Italian.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti. obviously.
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup black olives
1 tablespoon capers
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 bag of rocket

Avocado pesto from previous recipe. I would use the juice of 1 lemon rather than lime though.

Grated vegan cheese to top. I like the almond one with this recipe. Available in Planet Organic or another well stocked health food store.

Method:
Cook pasta. Bung everything together. Done,

I drizzle the spaghetti with olive oil before adding anything else as I like it extra lubricated!

Hope you enjoy these meals as much as I do. If in doubt, add lemon or lime juice to EVERYTHING as it makes food taste AWESOME!

If you enjoyed this post please follow me on Instagram for more food porn and bite sized ideas!

Eat well. Xx

Smoothie operator

Just when I thought I had mastered the art of making and drinking smoothies, I discover I am doing it all wrong.

I have fallen for smoothie bowls. Search for #smoothiebowl on Instagram and hundreds of beautiful creations will appear and if you're like me you'll be salivating and thinking about them day and night.

The idea is to make a smoothie and eat it from a bowl. Revolutionary, non? It makes sense. When you blitz a meal and drink it down quickly, the digestive process doesn't get a chance to work as well as it would if you were chewing solid food and then swallowing it. When we chew we produce amylase in our saliva. This is an important enzyme which breaks down starch and kicks off the rest of the digestive process in your body. Your liquid meal will arrive in your stomach more quickly than solid food would, meaning you might not digest it properly or absorb all the nutrients as well. 

What I find so appealing about these bowls of loveliness is how they can be decorated to look so appetising. To make a smoothie bowl, I start with a base of vegan milk or coconut water, a banana (preferably frozen), a tea spoon or two of nut butter and a scoop of vegan/veggie protein powder. Then you can freestyle it to your mood! Add fruit (fresh or frozen), powdered greens or spirulina, oats, avocado, seeds. Finally, to decorate your gloop use fruit, nuts, seeds, goji berries, dried mullberries, shelled hemp seeds, chia seeds, dessicated coconut or coconut chips, cacao nibs, nut butters, superfoods, even edible flowers! The only limit is your imagination.

I have compiled a few recipes below but they are so versatile and can be varied as much as you choose. I'm a bit of a renegade in the kitchen and don't tend to measure out ingredients so just try and experiment a bit with quantities. It's all personal preference anyway.

I use a Vitamix in my kitchen. It is an expensive piece of equipment but so worth it. It is high powered and the blades can deal with frozen bananas, hard nuts and ice for when I need an emergency frozen margarita or six.

Cheeky Monkey

1 tablespoon chia seeds soaked over night in vanilla rice milk

8fl oz vanilla rice milk

1 frozen banana 

1/2 cup organic jumbo rolled oats

1 scoop of banana split spirutein protein powder (Nature's Plus)

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Blitz all together in food processor.

(If the consistancy is too thick just add some filtered water and give it another whizz in the food processor)

For topping: toasted coconut chips, banana slices and raw cacao nibs.

Green Energy

8fl oz vegan milk like almond milk

1 frozen banana

2 scoops of Source of Life energy shake (From Nature's Plus)

1/2 cup jumbo rolled oats

2 tspoons almond butter

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

To top: raw cacao nibs, dessicated coconut, fresh strawberries and spirulina crunchies

Berry Tempting

8fl oz vegan milk or coconut water

1 frozen banana

1 cup mixed frozen berries

1 tablespoon acai powder

1 teaspoon almond butter

To top: 1 sliced kiwi, strawberries, dessicated coconut and cacao nibs.

Chocolate Dream

8fl oz Coconut water

1/2 ripe avocado 

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

1 tablespoon ground almonds

2 medjool dates

To top: 1/2 ripe avocado, raspberries, blackberries, whole almonds, toasted coconut chips. 

I defy you not to go to your happy place whilst eating this!

Here are some variations:

Total food porn. 

Now go forth and create beautiful smoothie bowls!

Eat well. Xx

www.naturesplus.com for protein powder info and stockists

www.bonpom.com for raw super foods and treats!

A few of my favourite things...

I was fortunate to find myself at the natural food and products Mecca that is The Natural Products Show in London Olympia a few weeks ago. The food section is always exciting and I love seeing (and tasting!) all the new and innovative products.

Amongst all the stalls of health foods and natural products there were a few gems which really stood out. Here are a few I found that are definitely worth checking out:

The first product I fell upon was this AMAZING organic sesame and cocoa spread from Sunita www.sunitafoods.co.uk which is totally addictive and I have to hide it to prevent myself from attacking it with a spoon and devouring the whole lot! It's basically chocolate tahini spread. Good on its own or on whatever (or whoever) you fancy!

I'm a big fan of their solid blocks of polenta which I fry in olive oil and eat hot or cold. They also have a great range of non chocolatey tahini. That seems really plain and boring now I have dipped my finger in the chocolate one!!

Another, more unusual product that is perhaps an acquired taste, but I find delicious, spirulina with raw honey by a Lithuanian company called Spila. They have a range of food supplements containing; spirulina and raw honey (Spila Bee). My favourite is the spirulina with raw honey and propolis (Spila Pro). Propolis, a resinous substance which is collected by bees from vegetation, has powerful, immune boosting properties.

 Spila C is chlorella with honey. Chlorella is a chlorophyll rich algae that is used to alkalise, detoxify and remove heavy metals from the body. Amongst other benefits it has also been found to increase probiotic population in the digestive tract. Chlorella is now used as a complementary supplement during radiotherapy. Its naturally high chlorophyll content is known to protect the body against harmful ultraviolet radiation.

I was also given a sample of spirulina chocolate to try. Surprisingly good but probably an acquired taste if you aren't used to the taste of spirulina. Another product which grabbed my attention and I will have to try is their Brewers yeast with propolis in honey. Sounds amazing!

Visit their website; www.spila.lt (get google to translate if you don't read Lithuanian!).

They stood no chance!

Great news!!! One of my favourite treats from The Raw Chocolate Company has gone snack size!! This is lucky as I am a greedy, compulsive pig and normally have to eat their raw chocolate mulberries until I feel sick and rather hyperactive!! Now available in pocket sized 32g snack packs. As are their raw chocolate covered goji berries. More great news!!!: their goji berries are now ORGANIC! This is fantastic as most inorganic goji berries are sprayed within an inch of their little red
lives with pesticides. Not so healthy after all!

www.therawchocolatecompany.com

The winning products I found and love are new bars called Chimpanzee bars. Whilst the health food market is chockablock with various protein and energy bars, these delicious vegan bars are unpretentious, organic and "made wih love". They come in raisin and walnut, apricot, dates and walnut and a new flavour I tried which was my favourite...beetroot and carrot! Check out their lovely website Www.Chimpanzeebar.co.uk

Available in only a few independent health food shops, Realfoods and cycle surgery. I would LOVE to see these bars more widely available.

And that's a wrap!

Thank you to all the lovely companies for the samples and keep up the good work!

See you all next year!

Eat well.

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts...

Coconuts are big news. I've not been this excited over them since winning three in one go on a coconut shy when I was a nipper.


 These nutritional power houses have sustained people in the tropics for centuries and have served as a resource for food, shelter, furniture, fuel, tools and cosmetics.


 Coconut water has recently become very fashionable. Those of us in the know however, were drinking it long before Madonna and Rihanna "discovered" its amazing isotonic properties.


Infact, during WWII when blood supplies were non existent, doctors used  the water from inside young coconuts as a blood plasma substitute:


"It (coconut juice) is also considered a close substitute for blood plasma since it is sterile, cool, easily absorbed by the body and does not destroy red blood cells. To quote Morton Satin, Chief of Food and Agricultural Organisation's Agricultural Industries and Post Harvest Management Service: "It is a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It is the fluid of life, so to speak." - India's National Newspaper, 24th November, 2003. 


My favourite coconut water is Cocofina (www.cocofina.com). It is delicious and has a chocolatey after taste!


Due to its isotonic properties it is an ideal sports recovery drink. It is naturally high in electrolytes such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. Great after a sweaty Bikram yoga session!


Moving on now to the oil of the coconut. This is the good stuff. It is made up of MCT's (medium chain triglycerides) this is fat which is easy to digest and quickly metabolised by the body and doesn't affect blood cholesterol levels. This means the calories from MCTs are used immediately for fuel and not stored as fat. It gets better...research shows that MCTs enhance thermogenesis (fat burning). Extensive research has shown that coconut oil can increase thyroid activity and therefore increases metabolism. All these examples make coconut oil the perfect sports/fitness companion. Brilliant for energy when whizzed up in a smoothie or protein shake.

Amazeballs!!

Energy Balls: (You can get creative with these bad boys! Chuck in acai powder, cacao nibs or powder, bee pollen, whatever you fancy!)


Basic recipe:
3 table spoons coconut oil,
4 teaspoons almond butter (whole nut),
2 teaspoons spirulina,
2 scoops hemp protein powder
2 tablespoons pre soaked gogi berries (organic as the conventional are smothered in nasty pesticides!) or about 6 roughly chopped re-hydrated dates,
chopped almonds or dessicated coconut for rolling.


Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mash it together with your fingers. You need to melt the coconut oil with the heat of your hands. When it is all mixed together put the mixture in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to firm up. Cover a plate with cling film. Press the mixture into rough balls, be careful not to warm them up too much and roll in either chopped almonds or dessicated coconut. Place on the cling film covered plate. Return your balls to the fridge to harden up ; )


Coconut oil is stable at high temperature (up to 350 degrees) and doesn't turn into a trans fat, making it an ideal fat for cooking/frying.


Coconut oil is perfect for stir fries, Thai curries and try mixing a lump of it in with cooked rice for an exotic but subtle flavour!


The health benefits of coconut oil are extensive. Coconuts contain natural antibiotic compounds and have been found to be protective against disease causing microbes, including bacteria, funguses, viruses and yeasts.  Lauric acid, the main component of coconut oil is the most protective component against viruses and most bacteria, followed by the other fatty acids; capric, caprylic and mysristic acid. Caprilic acid is particularly useful in the treatment of candidiasis and other fungal infections.


It can also be used safely as a moisturiser for hair, skin, nails and even as a lubricant.


My favourite brands of coconut oil are: Viridian, Nutiva, Tiana, Higher Nature and Barleans.


They all taste great and are the best quality ones I have tried. They are all virgin, cold pressed and are hexane/solvent free. There is no funky after taste with these either. See below for links to websites.


I have also recently discovered a brand called Vitaquell, which is also organic and cold pressed. It is available at my lovely local health shop, Health Matters in East Dulwich (www.Dulwichhealthmatters.com) at £3.65 for 200g it is ideal for those on a budget. It is in a glass jar, which like the Viridian coconut oil, is often preferred.

Coconut milk is a great alternative to dairy. It doesn't curdle in tea or coffee and has a relatively neutral flavour. I like to mix my protein shakes with it. Try Kara: www.karadairyfree.com


Last but not least, I want to tell you about coconut nectar. Commonly known as coconut sugar, is the ideal sugar substitute and can be used as you would the white stuff, in baking, beverages and any other aspects of your life you wish to sweeten! It is low on the glycaemic index (around 35) which is lower than honey (55), and cane sugar (68). It won't spike your blood glucose levels and is therefore a good choice for hypoglycaemics and diabetics.


Because coconut nectar is unrefined, it retains its vitamins and mineral salts, potassium, zinc, and iron, and vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C. All essential for its digestion and metabolism.


I shall be posting a report I made after researching refined sucrose (table sugar) and its effects on health at a later date. Just be warned: it's evil.


Suppliers:


www.viridian-nutrition.com
www.highernature.co.uk
www.cressuk.com/brand/nutiva
www.tiana-coconut.com
www.barleans.com
www.vitaquell.de/international/english/




Further reading:


travelman1971.hubpages.com/hub/100-Uses-of-Coconut
www.coconut.com/museum/uses.html


And just for fun...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wg_L0wGTyA


I'm off to eat some fruity rye toast smothered in coconut oil and a smidgen of marmalade. Heaven!


Eat well! Xx

It started with a Romanesco

So, my first EVER blog. What better subject than food?


I shall commence by telling you what I made for dinner. I used mainly the contents of my Riverford organic box that is delivered to my door every Thursday morning by a rather charming man.


I have been making a dip recently that I have discovered goes with pretty much everything. Even cardboard. Or soil, depending on your level of hunger.


Pea and Mint dip:
3 hand fulls of frozen or fresh peas,
glug olive oil,
2 garlic cloves,
2 generous tea spoons dry horseraddish
juice 1/2 lime and squeeze of lemon,
2 table spoons of sour cream or similar.
Sprig mint,
Blitz in food processor.


Works well with crudites, pitta or flat bread, oat cakes...you get the idea.


I love winter. Like the fashion, the vegetables areso much more substantial and interesting. I love all the root vegetables and squashes, gourds and brassicas that are all so warming and comforting in soups and stews. One of my favourite vegetables is the Romanesco. Broccoli will always be the King of Brassicas, but the Romanesco, with its beautiful, bright green turrets, which are a prime example of phyllotaxis-the fractal patterning that appears in nature, is truly beautiful! This sweet, nutty, crunchy delight is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins C and K and fibre. Just don't boil it to death, please. If you do I will HUNT YOU DOWN AND THRASH YOU!!


So, anyway, I lightly stir fried mine in olive oil, with finely sliced garlic, red onion, leek, and mushrooms. I then tossed in some yummy spelt tagliatelle and watercress and squeezed some lemon juice over it with a final splash of olive oil. It was bloody lovely.


I am happy to tell you I have some left over for my lunch tomorrow.


More delightful insights and recipes to come.


Eat well!


XX