Category Archives: healthy eating

Green Veg Risotto

Posted in beating cancer, dairy free, eating disorder, food, food is medicine, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, healthy fats, home cooking, meat free, positive mind, recipe, recovery, specialised diet, superfood, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian by

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Serves 4     Large saucepan / paella dish

Ingredients:

60 g walnuts – toasted for 5 minutes under a medium hot grill

1 red onion – finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – finely chopped or 1 tsp garlic salt

80 g green beans – trimmed and chopped into 2 cm lengths

65 g asparagus  – trimmed and chopped into 3 cm lengths

60 g kale – remove rough stems and coarsely chop

70 g frozen peas

900 ml vegetable stock

2 tbsp olive oil

225 g Arborio rice

1 tsp Marmite

140 ml white wine

salt and black pepper to season

Method:

Heat the olive oil and saute the red onions until soft. Add the garlic / garlic salt and stir for a minute. Then add the rice and heat for a minute. Turn up the heat a little and add the wine. Stir frequently and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated. Add the beans, asparagus and half of the stock. Stir occasionally. As the rice absorbs the stock, add more 50 ml at a time (you might not use all the stock). As the rice starts to soften , add the kale and peas and cook until the rice is just cooked and the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately – top each bowlful with some toasted walnuts.

 

 

 

 

 

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31 days – Habits created

Posted in beating cancer, breast cancer, cancer, chemotherapy, dairy free, eating disorder, food is medicine, fructose free, functional food, gluten free, health, healthy eating, healthy fats, home cooking, mental illness, positive mind, recovery, specialised diet, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian by

One month has passed since I made the positive change to improving my health.  My intention was to be sugar free (apart from sugar in vegetables and dairy products) and be meat free).  I have however, taken it a step further and not eaten any fish, eggs and virtually cut out dairy products and so for the majority of the month I have eaten a vegan diet and the remainder of the time, vegetarian.  It wasn’t really a conscious decision…it just sort of happened.

Apart from the first week of sugar detox unpleasantness, I have enjoyed the month. I have found a few things out about myself – I do have will power and an inner voice that is looking out for me!! On the odd occasion when I have been hungry between meals (I actually haven’t wanted to snack between meals very much at all), I’ve opted for a savoury snack – new found passion for oatcakes and Marmite – rather than a sweet biscuit or two … or three! I have found myself having internal dialogue – acknowledging how much better I feel and do I really want to jeopardise that feeling?! In fact, there has been a bar of chocolate in the bottom of my handbag all month – I found it the other day. 31 days ago it would have ‘shouted’ at me and been snaffled and the wrapper probably hidden! There are also biscuits, homemade cakes and puddings for my husband – i’m not interested! Although I am focusing on how the food choices make me feel, an additional benefit is that I have lost 4kg over the month. Chemo weight is finally coming off  😁 yay!

I do think about food a great deal – not in a negative way though. Instead I enjoy planning and thinking about the day’s meals, enjoy reaching a mealtime hungry and therefore really enjoy what I am eating – every rainbow mouthful – rather than just seeing food as body fuel. I have settled in to a pattern of planning the week’s main meals on a Friday, collating the shopping list from this and therefore only buying what we need. An additional plus is that we don’t have any food going to waste and the weekly food bill is reduced!

Creative food swapping is becoming easier – my cheese sauce swap has really helped cut out a lot of dairy. I did think removing cheese from my diet would be hard – not helped by many vegan cheeses tasting, in my opinion, pretty vile. However, I have found a brand that tastes good and melts well – perfect for lasagne toppings etc.  Oat milk is very tasty in tea and coffee or I drink weak black tea (thanks HS for the tip 😊) although I have cut my consumption of these drinks significantly and prefer herbal teas.  Butter is the one food I haven’t found an alternative I enjoy. Toast and butter..mmm… I don’t have it very often but thoroughly enjoy it when I do. Any really tasty alternative options out there? From a purely health point of view I think butter is better for me than a vegetable spread with lots of additives.

I have been pleasantly surprised, when I have eaten out, about the number of vegetarian and increased number of vegan options on the menus. Foods with wonderful flavours and textures.

So many people have been supportive, which is lovely, but – here comes a negative – occasionally the odd person (occasional not strange!) passes a comment such as, ‘ Should you be eating that?’ or even, ‘You can’t eat that!’ For me, my diet choices are for my health – mine. My choice; my decisions.  At the moment, I can’t imagine eating meat / fish again but…if I want to…I will. I am not going to pigeon hole my dietary choices.

A taste (pardon the pun) of the rainbow of food eaten this month:

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My next steps:  eat cake, steak and fizzy drinks.  I very much doubt it.

I will however eat fruit if I feel like it.

I will continue to plan our weekly food and buy only what we need to keep wastage low.

I will continue to enjoy every mouthful.

 

 

Moussaka (vegan + gf)

Posted in dairy free, eating disorder, food, food is medicine, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, healthy fats, home cooking, mains, meat free, recipe, recovery, specialised diet, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian by

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This dish is a complete meal in itself.

Preheat oven 180 C Gas mark 5

Ingredients:

4 medium / large potatoes

1 onion slices

Packet of vege mince 454 g

500 g carton passata

2 aubergines sliced

1 tsp mixed spice

black pepper

chilli flakes

olive oil

Sauce:

50 g vegan butter

3 tbsps flour (gf)

Approx 400 ml non dairy milk

Method:

Boil the potatoes until just tender. When cooled – slice thickly.

Brush the aubergine slices with a little olive oil and pan fry for 2-3 mins on each side.

Fry the onions until soft and add the vege mince, mixed spice, black pepper and passata.

Make the white sauce – thick pouring consistency

Grease the bottom of a large oven proof dish.

Create a layer of aubergine, potato and then mince mix. Continue to create layers until all ingredients used. Top with the sauce. Sprinkle chilli flakes over the surface.

Put in the oven for 20-30 mins until piping hot.

 

Cauliflower, cashew nut and mushroom curry (vegan)

Posted in dairy free, food, food is medicine, fructose free, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, healthy fats, home cooking, mains, meat free, recipe, turmeric, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian by

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This is a really quick, easy and delicious dish served up with rice or quinoa, poppadoms and mango chutney. It involves very little preparation – a winner in my opinion!!

Serves 3-4 Cooking time 40-50 minutes

Ingredients:

300 g white mushrooms – quartered   2 tsp ground cumin

Medium cauliflower cut into small florets   1 tsp chilli powder

Large tin 400 g chopped tomatoes + 1/2 tin of water   1 tsp turmeric

Large tin 400 g chick peas   1 tsp garlic powder

Large cup of cashew nuts   1 tsp cayenne pepper

Method:

Put all the ingredients in to a large pan, cover and simmer (stirring occasionally) until the cauliflower is tender.

Vegan pie (2)- quick and easy

Posted in dairy free, eating disorder, food, food is medicine, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, healthy fats, home cooking, meat free, recovery, specialised diet, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian by

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This recipe is a more simple and quicker dish to prepare than my other vegetarian / vegan pie using fewer ingredients but just as tasty. It has a ‘stodgier’ base, which my husband prefers. He says it taste ‘meatier’.

Serves 4

Preheat oven to Gas mark 5  190 C

Ingredients:

4 medium/ large white potatoes

5 medium/ large sweet potatoes

Olive oil

1 large onion – finely chopped

Punnet of chestnut mushrooms – 200 g – coarsely chopped

100 g sun-dried tomatoes (I use a packet of Merchant Gourmet) – unsoaked

Red lentils – large mugful

1 large tin of chick peas 400 g – drained

Vegetable stock cube

Boiling water

Method:

Peel, chop, boil and mash the potatoes.

Fry the chopped onions in a some olive oil until soft. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chick peas, lentils, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, stock cube and enough boiling water to just cover the ingredients.  Stir and leave to simmer – stirring occasionally adding more water if required. Once the lentils are soft, remove from the heat and put into an oven proof dish.

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Cover the mixture with the mashed potatoes creating a thick layer.

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Place in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes. Once piping hot, serve and enjoy.

Creamy cashew nut sauce

Posted in food, food is medicine, fructose free, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, healthy fats, home cooking, meat free, recipe, specialised diet, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian by

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A time-saving method of making this sauce – an alternative to 2 hours to soak and then pulverize the cashew nuts to form the base of the sauce and using Marmite (for all the Marmite haters out there – I don’t think you can taste it) instead of nutritional yeast

Ingredients:

2 heaped tbsps cashew nut butter

2 tbsps plain flour (I use gf flour)

2 tsps of Marmite

750 ml Cashew milk – approx quantity – dependent on desired thickness of sauce

Method:

Put cashew butter and flour in to pan and  on to a medium heat – stir into a thick paste. Stir in the cashew milk –  a little at a time.  Add the Marmite.  Continue to stir and add milk until desired thickness is achieved. Allow the sauce to simmer but not boil.

A long week

Posted in beating cancer, dairy free, eating disorder, food, food is medicine, fructose free, functional food, healthy eating, healthy fats, meat free, positive mind, recovery, specialised diet, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian by

So … last Monday at midnight I said goodbye to sugar. I also decided to switch back to a  solely vegetarian diet (during the festive period I seemed to eat more meat than I had done in the whole year) and reduce my dairy food intake.

I would like to say this week has been plain sailing for me. It hasn’t. Not eating meat / fish has not been an issue at all. However, the sugar withdrawal has been a different story. The first day was easy and lulled me in to a false sense of security. Days 2 and 3 delivered a constant headache – initially eased by increasing my water intake but this relief was only short lived. I awoke on day 4 headache free, ‘Yay!’  As the day progressed, I presumed all toxins were flushed out and sugar impact gone. Wrong. With the evening came a migraine that sent me to my bed. Day 5 – the cravings really hit. Sugar laden goodies were calling , no, shouting to me. Two choices – give in and then be cross with myself – or, distract myself and keep going.  I chose the second option.  Day 6 – no headaches and no cravings. Day 7 – all good.

Was the week worth it?

Definitely.

  • I am sleeping better
  • I am not waking up with heartburn
  • I’m eating nutrition dense not calorie dense food
  • no more sugar lows and sugar highs
  • I’m enjoying creating different flavours and cooking again – feel I have my mojo back
  • I feel full after I have eaten
  • I don’t want any of the chocolates, biscuits and cake that are in the house – not being smug- just not interested in them
  • perfected a speedy cashew Bechamel sauce! One step closer to a vegan diet.
  • (… I’ve lost 2 kg)

Onward …

 

Back on track

Posted in eating disorder, food, food is medicine, fructose free, gluten free, healthy eating, home cooking, meat free, mental illness, positive mind, recovery, specialised diet, superfood, Uncategorized, vegetarian by

2018 was an eventful year! The stresses of selling our house, living in a caravan with 2 dogs, 2 cats and my husband during one of the hottest UK summers on record (many thanks to our wonderful friends for helping us) whilst we awaited the completion on the house we were buying seemed to stretch out endlessly.

This life turbulence completely tipped me upside down. As my kitchen disappeared so to my healthy food choices, love of cooking and exploration of flavours and blends disappeared. Instead, I trotted – no … galloped – in the direction of sugar laden comfort foods. Fast forward to the end of 2018 and I was a few pounds heavier, feeling very sluggish and lacking any momentum to change. I have spent the last few months mentally beating myself up for my lack of will power and weakness which has only lead to a downward spiral of self loathing followed quickly by a ‘what is the point?’ attitude as I devoured some more calorie dense / nutrient lacking morsel.

Thankfully, my inner voice has finally been heard. I am only human and to err is not a weakness. Self -care is paramount. Over the last few days, I have planned and prepared for overhauling my diet. So, as 2019 commences, the cookbooks cover my table once more, scraps of paper have ideas scribbled on them and sugar is off the menu.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

Cauliflower and walnut soup

Posted in Aga cooking, drink, food, food is medicine, fructose free, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, home cooking, magimix, mains, meat free, paprika, superfood, Uncategorized, vegetables, vegetarian by

It’s that time of year… when a bowl of soup is always welcome.  This recipe is a firm favourite in our household. It is one of the easiest soups to make.

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Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower – separated into florets            2 cups of stock – vegetable / chicken

1 large onion – coarsely chopped                                    2 cups of milk

1 large handful of walnut pieces                                     2 tsps paprika

Black pepper

Method:

Put the cauliflower florets, chopped onion   and stock into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until soft. Add the milk, paprika, black pepper and walnuts and

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simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, blend and serve.

I serve with a sprinkling of black pepper and a dash of tabasco.

 

Food is not the enemy…?

Posted in eating disorder, food is medicine, healthy eating, positive mind, Uncategorized by

This ditty has been rattling around my head for the last few days. This and, ‘love your body – don’t hate it.’  Two things very easy to say but, for me, not at all easy to accept.

Although I am no longer a slave to scales, food still exerts a fair amount of control over me. I plan our weekly meals ahead of shopping and know exactly what I am going to eat the following day. This structure keeps me sane and on track…until an additional factor in my life rears its head. Then, all my plans, good intentions, dietary knowledge and sense seem to go out of the window. The sense of ‘me’ and the importance of looking after me disappears. The first thing that happens is food becomes my enemy and very quickly I start on a negative spiral. Sugary foods become really palatable, comforting and of course addictive. I forget to drink enough fluids and eat when I know I am actually thirsty etc.

My life has been hectic and somewhat stressful over the last couple of months (hence no blogging). I have never loved my body but have over the years come to accept it and wanted to look after it. But, as soon as there is imbalance and disharmony in my life the very first thing to suffer is me.  I know, from talking with others, that this is not just something that happens to me.

Why? Is it because being kind to ourselves is not a natural human trait?  We spend our lives looking and caring for others so why can we not treat ourselves in the same way regardless of external factors?

Would love to hear your thoughts…