Love Your Gut Blog
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Here the salmon is marinated in coriander, ginger, mint, lime juice and chillies. Serve with brown basmati rice or rice noodles and steamed green beans or pak choy.
SERVES 4
Small bunch of coriander, washed
12 mint leaves, washed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon peeled and chopped ginger
1 tablespoon fish sauce (Nam Pla)
4 x 125g (41/2oz) salmon fillets
1 In a food-processor blend together the coriander leaves and stalks, mint leaves, salt, garlic and chillies to make a rough paste. Add the lime juice, caster sugar, ginger and fish sauce and process until fairly smooth. Spoon the sauce into a heatproof bowl and combine with the salmon, then marinate for 20 minutes.
2 Boil some water in the bottom half of a steamer. Place the bowl with the marinated salmon in the top half and steam for 68 minutes.
3 Serve immediately with the rice or noodles and vegetables.
Per portion: 254 kcal, 14g fat, 2.4g sat fat, 0.37g sodium
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Friday, April 30th, 2010
Antony Worrall Thompson offers this hearty and nutritious recipe
SERVES 8
Ingredients
450g (1lb) thick-cut ham on the bone, chopped
2.4 litres (4 pints) chicken stock
4 tablespoons pearl barley
2 tablespoons Puy lentils
2 medium onions, sliced
4-6 medium carrots, diced
2 medium parsnips, diced
1/2 medium swede, diced
Ground black pepper
2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
Sprig of parsley
450g (1lb) potatoes in their skins, diced
1 small cabbage, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
400g (14oz) tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons snipped chives
1) Place the ham in a saucepan and cover with stock. Bring to the boil, skim any scum, then add the pearl barley and lentils.
2) Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, swede, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and parsley. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes.
3) Add the potatoes and cabbage and return to the boil. Simmer until they are just tender (about 15 minutes).
4) Add the chopped leek and parsley and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the leek is just tender.
5) Add the beans and warm through. Ladle into soup bowls and serve sprinkled with chives.
Per portion: 264 kcal, 3g fat, 0.8g sat fat, 0.97g sodium
Photo Credit Steve Lee
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Friday, April 30th, 2010
These are great kebabs for the barbecue or grill. Tofu is fermented soya bean curd, which not only contains protein but is also full of beneficial phytoestrogens. Serve with brown rice.
SERVES 4
75ml (3fl oz) light soy sauce
75ml (3fl oz) fresh unsweetened orange juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chilli
1 head pak choy
450g (1lb) firm tofu, drained and cut in 2.5cm (1in) cubes
20 shiitake or button mushrooms
1 red onion, cut lengthways into 8 wedges
Wooden skewers, soaked in water for about 30 minutes
1 Prepare the marinade by combining the first eight ingredients.
2 Separate the pak choy leaves and cut the stems into 2.5cm (1in) sections. Marinate with the tofu, mushrooms and onion for up to 1 hour, depending on how strong a flavour you want.
3 Thread the ingredients (you¹ll need to roll the pak choy leaves) onto four large (or twelve small) thick wooden skewers, and cook on a barbecue or under a grill for 710 minutes, basting with the marinade and turning regularly.
Per portion: 242 kcal, 8g fat, 1.0g sat fat, 0.02g sodium
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Friday, April 30th, 2010
Herby fruit salad
Antony Worrall Thompson’s twist on a classic fruit salad, the Asian influence of coriander and coconut milk is unusual yet refreshing perfect after a heavy meal.
SERVES 4-6
Ingredients
4 tablespoons reduced-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon liquid honey
Lemon or lime juice, to taste
2 blood oranges or small pink grapefruit, peeled and sliced
1 small pineapple, peeled and diced
1 pink-skinned apple, cored and diced
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1 small mango, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Mix the coconut milk, honey and lemon juice. Toss the fruits and coriander in this dressing.
Per portion: 141 kcal, 0.5g fat, 0.1g sat fat, 0.02g sodium
Photo Credit – Steve Lee
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Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Healthy foods for battling the cold
I have to admit that by now I was hoping to be able to start talking about getting ready for springtime, encouraging you to throw off the winter layers and start tackling some new health challenges to help improve our digestive health.
But sadly the winter weather seems to be very much here and no respite on the horizon this week. So much so that am seriously considering leaving my walking boots in the car and getting the shovel out of the shed! And not for the gardening.
But as we know, cold weather can tempt us to comfort eat and lack of good digestive fibre has been known to play havoc with our guts. So perhaps this recipe may help us stay warm and healthy at the same time! This soup, which contains broccoli and brussels sprouts has an added bonus as both vegetables are rich in anti cancer plant chemicals. Also the chick peas supply the body with fermentable carbohydrates, serve with a wholemeal roll and you’ll be well on the way to a happier you on the inside and out.
Cream of broccoli & brussels sprouts soup with almonds
Serves 4
Per serving
365 calories 28g fat
5g saturated fat 6.5g fibre
Ingredients
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic
1.2 litres (2 pints) basic stock (see Sauces section below)
1 bouquet garni
2 medium head broccoli
(cut into florets)
350g (12oz) brussels sprouts (halved)
110g (4oz) ground almonds
150g canned chickpeas (drained)
100ml (10fl oz) single cream
4tbsp slivered almonds
Method
1. Heat the oil. Add the onion garlic, and sweat gently in the oil for 5 mins. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
2. Add the broccoli to the pan. Pick over the brussels sprouts and add to the pan. Add the bouquet garni and ground almonds.
3. Simmer gently for 10 mins, add the chickpeas, remove bouquet garni and simmer for another 5 minutes. Allow to cool a little before liquidising, in a food processor and return to pan.
4. Stir in the cream and heat through. Serve with the slivered almonds floating on top.
For a creamier but higher fat version of this recipe, add more cream (up to 300ml)
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