A simple but delicious snack
Ingredients:
85%+ Good quality dark chocolate
Nuts, seeds and dried fruits of your choice chopped in to smallish pieces
Here I chose pecan and cashew nuts, pumpkin, chia and flaxseed and chilli flakes.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water. Add all the ingredients and mix. Spread out on to baking paper and pop in the fridge to harden. I keep mine in the fridge.
Here I used coconut flakes, chopped dried apricots, pistachio and cashew nuts.
I have a new obsession in my life…kefir. Having read many articles, seen many recipes and heard great things about this product I decided to try it. My first hurdle was to locate it. I eventually found a supermarket that stocked it – after many, ‘What’s that?’ responses to my queries around which aisle it was in.
What is Kefir?
Kefir is a cultured, creamy product made from any type of milk. It is made from gelatinous white or yellow particles called ‘grains’. These grains ferment the milk.
Why Kefir?
As well as beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help the body with healing and maintenance functions. It is rich in vitamin B12, B1 and vitamin K.
I now ensure I drink kefir every day – in smoothies or neat.
Glass of Kefir and piece of coconut bark (recipe posted).
My next step is to locate ‘grains’ and start making kefir myself …
Mid – April I purchased some kefir grains – came by recorded delivery!
I now have Kevin the kefir grains working hard and providing me with a new batch of Kefir every 2 days.
Put 1/2 avocado, 300ml Kefir and 2 tsps of peanut butter into the blender. Blitz.
This is with no added sugar – if sweetness is required, blend with 1 tsp of stevia (to remain fructose free) or 2 medjool dates.
Flaked mackerel, avocado, tomatoes and roasted butternut squash on a bed of baby spinach leaves.
Roasted butternut squash: deseed and cut the squash in to chunks (keep skin on). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Roast.
When cooked and whilst hot, mix in to salad leaves.Add all other ingredients.
Ingredients 1 large onion chopped, 1 leek sliced, 2/3 carrots sliced, 2/3 parsnips sliced, 6 glutenfree sausages, sage leaves, 250ml cider, about 450ml vegetable stock, 1 or 2 tsps mustard, pepper to season and coconut oil for frying. Method Put sausages into oven to brown. On the hob, heat coconut oil in a casserole dish and fry onions until soft. Add the other ingredients. Remove browned sausages from the oven, slice and add to the casserole. Ensure sufficient stock added to cover all the ingredients. Cover and cook in oven on a low heat (Aga - bottom oven) for about 2 hours. Half an hour before eating increase temperature of oven to about 180c (Aga - middle of hot oven) and remove lid. Serve with sweet potato mash / celeriac mash - needed to soak up the delicious gravy.
I have always thought myself to be quite savvy about food. I have however, at different times in my life be ruled by it; controlled by it even. For a large proportion of my life I have awoken in the morning determined to be in control and not worried about what I was going to eat during the day. Invariably after my first of several weigh ins the feelings of guilt/ self loathing etc. would raise their ugly heads. I have tried many diets over the years – never needing to lose too much but never satisfied with how I looked or felt.
About a year ago, after suffering continually with painful reflux, my husband went to visit the doctor. Several tests and examinations later, it was declared that he was alright but would need to take a prescribed antacid regularly for the rest of his life. Acknowledging my view that we are what we eat, he agreed to take gluten out of his diet to see if that had any impact. It has – significantly so. Whereas the norm was to take a tablet daily he now takes about 3 in a month. To support him and make daily cooking life easy I also adopted this change. We have both been gluten free for 3 months. Newbies to this lifestyle!
In addition, I also decided to take fructose out of my diet. I removed it completely for about 6 weeks to allow my body to recalibrate. I now enjoy the odd berry or piece of fruit but eat very little fructose – somedays none.
As a result of these changes I never feel bloated, my skin texture has improved and I have lost weight. I no longer count calories, I eat fats – coconut milk, avocados etc, I don’t snack between meals and most importantly of all the bathroom scales do not rule my life.
Jo's food bites. 