Category: Recipe

Sweet n Sour Vegetables

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The great thing about this meal is the abundance of vegetables, and the sauce makes them taste interesting and adds a whole lot of oomph. There are extremely good reasons for eating a lot of veg (other than “they’re good for you”). Each different vegetable provides a range of phytonutrients, the more variety you have, the broader the range of these immensely beneficial plant nutrients. Ideally, we should be aiming for 30+ plants a week. This includes the ‘super six’: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds, beans/lentils, herbs/spices. It sounds like a lot, but this one sweet n sour meal provides 10!

This recipe originally came from one of my daughter’s Home Economics homeworks during Covid lockdown. During that time she was difficult and fussy with food – in clinical practice we call ‘selective eating’. Amazingly, she gobbled it all up!

It is totally delicious and has become a household staple, so I thought it was about time that I share. The original recipe was for 2 people, so to serve 4 I’ve doubled the amount of veg but kept the quantity of sauce the same. I’ve also reduced the sugar by half. You can of course add in extra veg, or leave out what you don’t like. Depending on what I have in the fridge, I may add extra peppers, spinach or cauliflower.

Ingredients

Veg: 2 peppers, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2 handfuls of broccoli, 2 handfuls of beansprouts, 2 sticks of celery, large tin of pineapple.

Sauce: 2 tablespoons cornflour, 1 stock cube, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 250ml pineapple juice, pinch of ground ginger.

For the method see picture above 🙂 I sometimes add some ready cooked chicken or tofu for some protein. Serve with brown rice.

Katsu Curry

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I remember my first visit to Wagamama’s in Soho c. 1994. In the days before the internet with online reviews, its credentials were confirmed by the queue on the wooden stairs that descended in to the bright basement. “Have you been here before”, was our brisk greeting as we were seated at a long bench in the starkly decorated, minimalist restaurant. Dining elbow to elbow with strangers to eat Japanese food was a relatively new concept, and an exciting/eccentric/weird experience for a Belfast teenager.

Fast forward nearly thirty years, and my love for this Japanese fast food restaurant that serves fresh, tasty, decently priced dishes has not wained. There are now 130 Wagamama’s in the UK, with two near me in Belfast. My kids are equally taken by Waga’s – including the fussy eater (halleluja) – whose go to on the menu is the chicken katsu curry. (It could be worth mentioning that the word wagamama (わがまま) is Japanese for “self-indulgent”, “self-centred”, “disobedient”, or “wilful” and is most often translated by the brand as naughty child).

The Kastu Curry is Wagamama’s most popular dish, and was bought 2.5 million times last year. If you ever sit near the service point it is hard not to notice the stream of Katsus being ferried out to diners. There’s even a mini kids version which comes complete with shredded carrot and cucumber, keeping parents happy that they’re getting their veggies.

You’d think that it would be hard to replicate at home. The rice and chicken component can be very simple – use ready cooked packet rice and shop bought breaded chicken fillets. Of course you can prepare these from scratch yourself using basmati or jasmine rice and bread-crumbing/crushed corn-flaking chicken breasts.

It is also possible to buy Katsu curry sauce in a jar, however this homemade adapted from the original Wagamama recipe is far superior.

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
  • 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 100ml coconut milk
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

Soften the garlic, onion and ginger in the oil over a medium heat. Add the turmeric and curry powder, stir for about a minute. Add the flour, mix for another minute. Add the chicken stock a splash at a time, stirring to make the sauce. When all the chicken stock has been added, stir in the coconut milk, soy sauce and sugar. Allow to bubble for a few minutes, then blend with a stick blender (or whizz up in a foddering processor, I use my Nutribullet).

The original recipe says to sieve the sauce rather than blending to make it smooth, but it seems such a shame to remove the awesome goodness and flavour of the onions, ginger and garlic. Sure, it’s a diversion from the original recipe, but very much in keeping with the “naughty child” ethos of the Wagamama name, ha ha!

Also, by keeping the onions and garlic, as well as the turmeric and curry spices you will be making your gut microbiome very happy 🙂 and that’s a very good thing.

Immense Veggie Chilli

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The veggie chilli is immense. The original recipe comes from Jamie Oliver which I have adapted………you may notice that there are no actual chillis in the recipe. The cayenne pepper adds a mild spiciness, which is just this side of conservative and perfect for not blowing small children’s heads off. Cinnamon adds a wonderful depth of flavour and just makes it taste a bit different (without it actually tasting of cinnamon).

In these Corona days – it’s absolutely fine to use fresh, frozen or tinned ingredients. Adapt where you can!

Sweet potatoes provide vitamin A, onions and garlic are rich in fermentable carbohydrates (which help the healthy bacteria in our digestive system to flourish,) peppers are rich in vitamin C, and tomatoes are chocca block with lycopene. The beans are high in fibre and great for protein – keeping the blood sugar levels steady and hunger at bay.

For anyone requiring the chilli kick, I put a bottle of chilli sauce on the table for those in need of the extra rocket fuel.

The spices – chilli sauce optional extra

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
olive oil
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 cloves of garlic
big handful of fresh coriander
2 x 400 g tins of mixed beans
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas 6.

  • Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into bite-sized chunks, then place onto a baking tray.
  • Sprinkle with a pinch each of cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper, drizzle with oil then toss to coat. Roast for 40 minutes, or until golden.
  • Peel and chop the onion. Chop the peppers, then peel and finely chop the garlic.
  • Pick the coriander leaves, finely chopping the stalks.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat, add the onion, peppers and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the coriander stalks and spices, and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
  • Drain and add the beans. Tip in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon, then stir well.
  • Stir the roasted sweet potato through the chilli with most of the coriander leaves.
  • Serve with boiled rice, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, grated cheese. And remember to put the bottle of chilli sauce on the table!
Ready for the festivities to commence! I totally forgot to take any pics of the dinner, mainly because I was too busy doing eating and talking – and a little bit of drinking 🙂

Flattened Lamb Koftas in Pitta

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Well it looks like summer may finally be here! After 6 months of grim winter weather, the sun is making an appearance. OK, ‘summer’ may be pushing it………..but when living on the Irish coast, if the thermometer reads anything above 15 degrees C then the summer dresses and flip flops will be out. So quick! Before the sun disappears! I’ll be th.jpegcookin a new suitably sunny Greek inspired wee recipe! (NB the word ‘wee’ in Northern Ireland is an affectionate term used for pretty much anything, for example a shop assistant may say: “Uck that is a lovely wee top, would you like a wee bag for it? Just pop your wee card in the wee machine there. OK you can put your wee PIN number in now. Would you like me to put your wee receipt in your wee bag?”)

Here’s the wee recipe for flatttened lamb koftas……seriously, you’ll be totally scundered at how good these are 🙂

How to make them healthier:

  • Lamb is a high fat red meat, so try to buy the lean mince which has a reduced fat
  • Grill rather than fry
  • Add loads of crunchy salad in a pitta, tomatoes, humous etc

 

Ingredients:

  • 400g lean lamb mince
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed/finely chopped
  • pitta bread
  • lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, greek yogurt or hummus
  1. In a bowl, mix the mince, cinnamon, cumin and garlic. Get stuck in and use your hands!
  2. Grab a handful, and mould in to a patty shape, about the same shape as a pitta bread but a bit smaller
  3. Place on some kitchen foil and grill for a few minutes on each side
  4. Put in a pitta (toast the pitta if you prefer), with some lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and greek yogurt/hummus

 

 

Chia Seeds

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There are hundreds of potential ‘super foods’ out there, and they’re not what you think they are. They can be every day basic foods, such as fruit, vegetables, oats, fish, nuts, seeds, yogurt, eggs…….and the more variety of these you can get, the better.

Chia seeds are a terrific source of fibre and a good source of omega-3 fats which are essential for a healthy brain. People with neurological conditions such as ADHD tend to have low levels of omega-3s, so increasing dietary intake can help with brain function.

Chia Seeds – worth the hype?

Here are some of the health claims:

Gluten free – true, so good for people with Coeliac Disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.

High in Omega-3 fats – true, but not the ‘best’ kind. Chia seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid, the omega-3 fatty acid found primarily in plants. This is not the same as the very beneficial omega-3 fats that are found in oily fish. Our bodies cannot use the chia seed version of the omega-3 very well, so won’t have the same potency as the fish oil or supplements.

High in Protein – false. Chia seeds are 16% protein and do have a good range of essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). However, they are not high in protein per se. To obtain a decent amount of protein from chia seeds, you would need to eat a lot of them. One portion of chia, about 30g dry weight, only has about 5g of protein.

High in Fibre – true, there’s no disputing the excellent fibre content. A whopping 13g per portion. The seeds absorb a high volume of liquid, and become quite gelatinous (just like flaxseeds), so fabulous for helping with constipation, and they are low in fermentable carbohydrates so shouldn’t cause bloating.

Chia Seed Banana Breakfast

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Ingredients
  1. 300ml vanilla soya milk
  2. 1 banana, ripe
  3. 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  4. 1/4 cup Chia Seeds
Instructions
  1. In a medium size bowl mash or slice the banana.
  2. Add the remainder of the ingredients and stir until combined.
  3. Cover and put in the fridge overnight – or at least 2 hours
  4. (Try to) enjoy!

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Smoothie Bowl

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6216be92664c268834e07ac1a29edd4aThis is something I make in seconds for my kids as a very healthy pudding. They love it. It’s somewhere between ice-cream and a smoothie. For me, I sometimes have it as a breakfast. I add a handful of oats, and if I’ve just had a bike or run, a scoop of protein powder.

Why it’s great:

Yogurt: calcium, protein, good bacteria for the digestion Berries: antioxidants,
phytonutrients and fibre. Oats: for slow release energy, soluble fibre, B-glucan cholesterol lowering, carbs for replacing muscle glycogen stores post workout. Protein powder: 20g extra protein post workout for muscle recovery and maintenance, also keeps you feeling full up for longer. 

Ingredients:

  • frozen berries: 1 big handful per person
  • Oats: 1 small handful per person (about 30g)
  • Natural yogurt: 3 tablespoons per person
  • Honey: 1/2-1 teaspoon per person

Method: whizz up in a blender, in my blender I’ve to give it a shake every few seconds to get all the ingredients down to the bottom.

Eat with a spoon!img_1066.jpg

If you use a flavoured yogurt, there’s no need to add honey as it should be sweet enough already.

 

Here’s what I used this evening……

Idiot Proof Poached Eggs

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Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods that you can eat: high in protein, omega 3 fats, lutein, choline, all the B vitamins, as well as vitamins A, D, E, K, and iron.

Poached eggs should be one of the easiest, cheapest and healthiest meals. But it can be hard to not end up with a watery pile of mush. There is a lot of advice out there on how to achieve the perfectly poached egg: the freshest eggs possible, adding vinegar to the water (am I the only one to end up with vinegary eggs?!) or the ‘swirling the water’ method.

For the first time in my 39 years, I came across this genius method for the perfect poached egg. Or for 10 poached eggs if you need that many!! It’s idiot proof, which is a stroke of luck for me.

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Location: a big family brunch at my cousin Wendy’s house in Holywood – that’s Holywood in N. Ireland; rather than Hollywood, California :). There were 13 of us so that’s a lot of eggs to poach! I was a bit skeptical as this clingfilm escapade unfolded in the kitchen, but trust me…..

 

Here’s what you need:
egg(s)

cling film

any cooking oil4820A52D-F11E-49D0-B839-BDF5C02AA2B7

Ramekin, or small bowl

  1. Boil some water in a small sauce pan. Once boiling reduce to a simmer

 

  1. Tear some cling film, about double the width of the ramekin

 

  1. Oil the cling film by dribbling in a few drops of the oil. Spread around with your fingers or a pastry brush

 

  1. Break the egg in to the cling film

 

  1. Gather up the edges of the cling wrap and twist, making sure that you have the egg enclosed well. You can secure it with a little elastic band or something similar.F593DFC8-DBA5-40ED-ACE0-CAEF8944851B

 

  1. Place in the simmering water until the egg white has set. Put as many of these little parcels in the water as needed (use an appropriately sized saucepan to fit them in obvs)

 

  1. Lift the egg out of the water using a spoon and cut away the cling film

TA DA!!!!