Category Archives: food is medicine

Courgetti, spring onion and cheese frittata 

Perfect for a light supper on a hot summer’s day 🙂 . The wonderful thing about this dish is that it is delicious both hot and cold.

The number of servings depends upon what is served with the dish – serves 2 if on its own or with a small salad or 4 if served with additional vegetables and new potatoes. Gas mark 5 / 190 c   Oven proof pan

Ingredients:

1 spiralised courgette                      6 eggs – beaten and seasoned with pepper

2 spring onions finely chopped         handful of grated cheese    olive oil for frying

Method:

Gently fry the courgetti and onions for a couple of minutes. Add the grated cheese and beaten egg. Put the pan in the oven for 10 – 15 mins until the frittata is just set.

 

Chicken stock

Posted in food, food is medicine, gluten free, healthy eating, home cooking, recipe, Uncategorized by

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Put the carcass and remains of the chicken in to a large pan – I use my Prestige Pressure cooker.

Add a couple of pints of water. Put on the hob  – Pressure cooker middle weight and stream for 20 mins once pressure reached – only sufficient heat to cause a gentle steam. (in a pan – simmer for 40 mins.

Sieve the contents to separate the stock from the solids – if the chicken pieces are wnted – sift through the solids.

 

 

1 in 8

Posted in beating cancer, breast cancer, cancer, food, food is medicine, functional food, healthy eating, superfood, Uncategorized, vegetarian by

Well it seems that never smoking, drinking very little ( I mean very little) alcohol, never abusing my body with drugs, eating a very healthy and well balanced diet and leading an active life and being a sensible weight just isn’t enough. I found out this week that I have an unwanted companion – of the malignant variety. At this point I then felt I should smoke 20 cigarettes – normal or ‘herbal’, drink a bottle of whisky (don’t even like whisky – sorry all those people I have just offended) and eat a whole rack of doughnuts. Obviously, I didn’t!

After feeling sorry for myself and wallowing momentarily in self -pity I then started to think logically.

Because I have never smoked or done drugs, drink all most no alcohol, eat a very healthy and well balanced diet, lead an active life and am a sensible weight, I am in the  best position to beat the b…er!

My battle commences…

Smoked mackerel, Greek yoghurt,  cucumber,  spring onions and dill

This only took a couple of minutes  to prepare…my favourite sort of meal😀

Serves 3 as a main dish with new potatoes. Would serve 4 – 5 as a starter.

Ingredients:

Large handful of spinach and watercress for each person

4 spring onions – chopped

Large piece  (10-15 cm) cucumber chopped in to cubes

Greek yoghurt

3 smoked mackerel fillets – skinned and flaked

Handful of dill – chopped

Pomegranate seeds to garnish.

Method:

Put prepared onions,cucumber and mackerel in a bowl and add 3-4 heaped tbsp of yoghurt. Mix together. Add most of the dill – keep some back to sprinkle over as a garnish.Serve out on to watercress/spinach  and top with dill and pomegranate seeds.  New potatoes complement this dish very well 😀

 

Quail eggs and halloumi salad

Posted in coeliac, eggs, food, food is medicine, functional food, healthy eating, healthy fats, mains, recipe, salad, specialised diet, superfood, Uncategorized, vegetarian by

So many people still think a salad consists of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber.  Glances of pity are thrown in the direction of my husband when he states we had a salad for lunch!!

This delicious salad was simply a combination of soft boiled quail eggs, chopped avocado, chopped plum tomatoes and grilled halloumi sitting on a bed of watercress 🙂

A new way of thinking

Posted in eating disorder, food is medicine, fructose free, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, healthy fats, meat free, mental illness, specialised diet, Uncategorized, vegetarian by

Having spent the last few weeks immersed in studying nutrition I have done a great deal of thinking about food… even more so than normal! This combined with my slowly changing relationship with food has made me come to some conclusions…I am no longer dieting – hoorah but instead I am eating mindfully. It is different!

I am no longer driven by the all consuming need / desire to lose weight or a quick fix but instead I eat to enhance my health and improve my lifestyle.

I have stopped counting calories and now eat quality calories.

I’m giving myself permission to eat the good foods until I am satisfied not depriving myself or denying myself.

I eat when I am hungry and listen to my internal cues rather than being driven by external cues.

and…finally, food is no longer my enemy / nemesis or a trap but to my absolute astonishment it is my ally and liberator.  Two words I never ever thought would be written by me about food!

.

 

 

Kale, papaya and kefir smoothie

Posted in coeliac, drink, fermented food, food is medicine, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, magimix, smoothie, specialised diet, superfood, Uncategorized, vegetarian by

Serves 2

Ingredients:

300 ml Kefir                                         200 ml coconut water

Papaya peeled and deseeded          large handful of kale

2 tbsp chia seeds

Method:

Put all ingredients in to a blender and blitz.

 

 

 

 

Smoked mackerel and rice noodles

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Serves 3    Preheat oven to 180c / gas mark 4

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut squash deseeded and chopped in to small chunks

plum / cherry tomatoes

3 smoked mackerel fillets torn into large pieces

300 g rice noodles

rocket

tamari (soy sauce if non gf)

Olive oil

Method:

Put butternut squash on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven for about 30 mins until cooked and edges crisping.

Put a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and, once hot, add the rice noodles. Stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and fry for a further minute. Drizzle with tamari. Add the fish and heat through. Finally add the roasted squash, stir  and serve on a bed of rocket.

Hake, mangetout and cauliflower cheese bake

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Oven to tableware dish from Prestige

Such an easy dish to prepare:

Serves 3    Pre heat oven to 180C Gas mark 4

Ingredients

For the cheese sauce:

350 ml Full / semi skimmed milk            80 g  Cheddar / Double Gloucester cheese – grated

20 g Butter                                                       30 g gluten-free plain flour

1 tsp English mustard

For the remainder of the dish:

1 cauliflower cut in to 3 chunks             1 skinned fillet of hake    1 handful of mangetout

15 g grated cheese

Method:

Place the hake fillet within a tin foil parcel and bake in the centre of the oven for 10 mins.

Put the cauliflower in a pan of boiling water and cook until for 8- 10 mins.(alternatively steam e.g Prestige pressure cooker 5-8 mins) and boil /steam the mangetout for 3 mins.

For the cheese sauce:

Melt the butter in a saucepan.

Stir in the flour

Gradually add the milk – stirring continuously.

Simmer gently  and add the mustard and then the grated cheese, stirring until all melted and thoroughly combined.

Simply assemble all the ingredients in an oven proof dish, top with grated cheese and put in the oven to heat through thoroughly.