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 🙂
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!
.
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.
Serves 4/6
Microwave 2-3 mins on full power 4/6 individual large ramekins e.g. Prestige /souffle dishes
Ingredients:
For the pudding:
100 g gluten-free self-raising flour 100 g butter
100 g light muscovado sugar 3 eggs (2 if not using gf flour
3 tsp ground ginger
For the filling:
6-10 tbsp Greek yoghurt 4 pieces of stem ginger coarsely chopped
Method:
Put all the ingredients in to a bowl and mix well until smooth. Divide equally between the ramekins. Put in the microwave for 2 mins – test with skewer. Cooked when skewer comes out clean.
Mix Greek yoghurt with the chopped stem ginger. Scoop the centre of the pudding out and fill with yoghurt mixture and pop ‘lid’ back on. Serve whilst puddings still hot.
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.
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.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
2 courgettes – spiralised 1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup of chick peas (tinned) 1 tsp ground ginger
Tamari to flavour – 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking
Method:
Bake the salmon fillets in the oven in a tin foil parcel for 10-15 minutes – no additional flavours / oil added.
Whilst it is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the chick peas, pine nuts and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the courgetti and cook for a further minute. Add tamari – heat through and serve.
Preheat oven to 180c / gas 4
12 muffin tray – good quality non- stick ( I used Prestige – didn’t need to grease)
Ingredients:
120 g gluten-free self-raising flour 120 g butter
120 g light muscovado sugar 3 eggs (2 if not using gf flour)
2 ripe bananas – mashed 1/2 cup of walnut halves (12 to put on top before cooking)
Method:
Put all the ingredients ( except bananas / walnuts) for the muffins in to a bowl
and mix well until smooth. Add mashed bananas and walnuts and gently fold in to the mixture.
Spoon the mixture in to prepared tin and place half a walnut on the top of each.
Bake for about 15 mins – until skewer is clean.
Leave to cool before removing.
Make 12 – only 11 made it to the plate…muffin thief entered the kitchen!!
Serves 2
Ingredients:
100 g Gluten free plain flour 1 egg
1/2 pint whole milk 2 tbsp chia seeds
Pinch of salt
Method:
Make a well in centre of flour, add salt, chia seeds and egg and mix. Gradually add milk to make batter.
Make pancakes in usual way. I have assembled with full fat natural yoghurt, fresh raspberries, sliced banana and blueberries.
Preheat oven to 180c / gas 4
Prepare a 18cm round tin
Ingredients:
120 g gluten-free self-raising flour
120 g butter
120 g light muscovado sugar
3 eggs (2 if not using gf flour)
Rind of 1 orange
1 cup of cooked gooseberries – I baked them in the oven – no sugar added
Topping – juice of the orange and 60 g sugar
Method:
Put all the ingredients ( except gooseberries) for the cake in to a bowl
and mix well until smooth.Add gooseberries and gently fold in to the mixture.
Turn mixture in to prepared tin.
Bake for about 35 mins – until skewer is clean.
Whilst the cake is still hot spoon the orang/sugar mixture all over the top of the cake.
Once cool, remove from the tin.
Jo's food bites. 